Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju of Deji Adeyanju and Partners Chambers has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to adopt a more considerate approach in its operations to avoid violating human rights.
Adeyanju’s statement on Friday highlighted concerns over what he described as the EFCC’s “commando style” investigations and arrests.
Adeyanju’s statement came in response to an alleged assault on a staff member of Regional Hotel in Lagos by EFCC officers during a sting operation.
“We have observed with great concern, the increasing disregard for citizens’ human rights and the adoption of commando style investigation and arrest methods by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the latest being the unconscionable assault of a staff of Regional Hotel, Lagos, by officers of the EFCC, in the course of the Commission’s ‘sting operation’,” Adeyanju said.
He referenced a recent incident where EFCC officers were accused of unnecessary force during a midnight sting operation at a nightclub in Akure.
“While we recognise the Commission’s powers to investigate all economic crimes, including cybercrimes that have become a menace in our country, we, however, urge the Commission to adopt more intelligence-based techniques in its investigation and arrest of alleged cybercrime offenders,” he added.
Adeyanju emphasized the negative impact of frequent midnight raids on businesses, noting that such operations not only harm businesses that may be innocent but also increase the risk of innocent individuals being caught in the crossfire.
“More importantly, citizens’ right to freedom of movement and residence is constitutionally guaranteed, and the same should not be breached in the guise of midnight ‘sting operations’ which the current chairman of EFCC had earlier banned,” he said.
While acknowledging the EFCC chairman’s swift action in arresting the officers involved in the hotel assault, Adeyanju warned against fostering public dissatisfaction similar to the sentiment that fueled the ENDSARS protests.
“While we commend the EFCC’s chairman for the immediate arrest of the officers that assaulted the Regional Hotel staff, we, however, urge the Commission to be careful not to create a wave of citizens’ dissatisfaction against its operations, like the type that led to the ENDSARS protest. A word of caution!” Adeyanju concluded.
