Rage As EFCC Invades Enugu Hotels, Arrests NANS, Ohaneze Leaders

There was outrage as Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly stormed three hotels in Enugu and arrested student and youth leaders in a security meeting.

But officials of the State Security Services (SSS) in Enugu State averted what could have been a major protest against EFCC over the incident.

According to our impeccable sources EFCC operatives invaded a hotel off Ogui Road, Castle Majestic where leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Association of South East Town Union Youth wing (ASETU) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) were holding a meeting over the current insecurity issues in the region.

The youth leaders, numbering over 80 from across the Southeast region, were also lodged in the hotel when the officials of the anti-graft agency raided the venue, shooting sporadically and bursting into their rooms.

The EFCC officials, eyewitnesses alleged, also manhandled, teargassed and marched the youths and all the hotel guests into seven waiting Coaster Buses, which drove them into the EFCC office in Enugu late Thursday night.

Addressing journalists on the incident, Deputy President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Innocent Nduanya, described the EFCC attacks as crude and unacceptable to the youths of the Southeast.

He demanded a written apology from the commission within 48hours to Igbo youths and offset medical bills of injured members.

He said “We were here having our meeting. Suddenly, some of our people came up, they went to ease themselves downstairs, they came up and told us that EFCC officials have arrested some of our guys.

“When we came down to know what is actually happening, they began to threaten that they will shoot us and instantly they started shooting and spreading canisters at us.

“They couldn’t explain anything to us but only said that they were here on official duty. For me if they are acting on intelligence, there is no need for anybody to know that they are here.

“If they have a suspect they should go direct to the person’s room and pick the person and not disrupting and attacking these youths that have come to show solidarity to what we are doing here today.

“We have been here for today and it’s for the interest of Igbo people and the security of the security operatives. For long now there have been sit-at-home every Monday and the future of this country is in the hands of the youth and that is why we have gathered here and it is an embarrassment to us that EFCC will come here to disrupt us. It is not done in any part of this country”, he said.

It was gathered that as more youths were gathering for a protest match against the action of the EFCC, leadership of the SSS in Enugu State, invited them over to its office where they were discouraged from embarking on the match against the commission.

But the EFCC described the raid of the hotel and two others in Monarch area and New Haven Extension in Enugu metropolis as a sting operation from which it arrested 16 suspected internet fraudsters.

A statement by its Head Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren said the suspects were arrested following verified intelligence on their alleged involvement in internet-related fraud activities.

“Part of the intelligence indicated that suspected internet fraudsters were operating from Castle Majestic Hotel, Enugu. Based on the intelligence, and weeks of surveillance, a search warrant was executed on the facility on Thursday September 16, 2021.

“In the course of the operation, the operatives encountered a group that identified themselves as members of the National Association of Nigerian students, NANS and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Youth wing. The leaders of the group duly identified their members and carried on with their activities.

“But the target of the sting operation were arrested and brought to the Enugu Zonal Command for questioning.

“Among the suspects arrested are: Agbo Paschal, Anthony Ogbu Uzochukwu, Ejiofor, Uchenna Ejiofor Chikora, Ezihe Victor, Nnaji Onyedikachi Christian, Eke Ike, Ogbodo Arinze, Ogbodo Ebube, Ogbu Chinedu, Ossai Chinedu and Udey Ifeanyi.

“Some of the items recovered from them include one Lexus ES 350 car with plate number BLF 722 LD, one Yellow Fever travel documents, several laptops, mobile phones and other incriminating documents.

“The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded,” Uwujaren said.