Why We Raided Akure Clubs, Lounges – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in the early hours of Saturday, raided some spots and lounges in Akure, the Ondo State capital and arrested some suspected internet fraudsters in the process.

The operation, it was gathered, involved several lounges in Alagbaka, resulting in the arrest of about 50 persons, including a soon-to-be-wedded man who was celebrating his bachelor’s eve in one of the lounges.

Sources say two military personnel were injured in the operation.

The raid, which reportedly occurred at about 1a.m, involved EFCC personnel arriving in various vehicles and shooting sporadically.

They also seized vehicles, laptops, high-end smartphones, and other items during the operation.

“They were entering the nightclubs and lounges, using tear gas on people, beating them up and arresting them. They don’t care who you are; two soldiers were also injured as they shot tear gas canisters inside one of the clubs,” a source said.

“They also went away with a groom and his friends at a club. He was there for his Bachelor’s Eve. It is so sad that they profiled everyone as Internet fraudsters.”

But the EFCC has said the operation was carried out after a thorough intelligence gathering, which led them to the lounge where the alleged fraudsters were staging a party.

The agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said it was an early morning sting operation. “No soldier was injured. The operation was carried out to round up some internet fraudsters holding a Yahoo party,” he said.

“They were supposed to hold the party on Wednesday, and when they found out that we knew about it, they moved it to Saturday.

“The arrest was a result of diligent operation and we had followed them carefully before we eventually went for the arrest,” he said.

Mr Oyewale added that those arrested were in the agency’s custody in Ibadan and were undergoing profiling.

He disclosed that detailed briefing would be given after some work was done on the identities of those arrested and the items recovered from them.