By Grace Udofia
In recent times, there has been series of allegations by Nigerians that its number one anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has constantly been involved in illegal raid of the homes of unsuspecting Nigerians.
Most of the time, these raids occur at the dead hour of the night, putting Nigerian citizens at risk. They are mostly overwhelmed by the fear that they are being attacked by armed robbers or hoodlums in these areas because the mode of operation of the operatives of the EFCC.
It is on this note that a victim, Norah Okafor took to her social media handle to share the frightening experience she had with operatives of the EFCC at an early hour of 1:36am on Thursday.
She narrated how EFCC operatives, numbering about 25 jumped into their compound and then broke into her apartment destroying properties from the kitchen to other rooms in the house.
She said, “At exactly 1:36am,I was alerted by my brother that there are armed robbers at my gate trying to make their way into the compound. Because it was an electric fence, I didn’t bother enough because I felt they can’t make their way in.
“Alas, I was wrong. 2am on the dot they made their way into the compound. They came prepared. Over 25 of them with two hilux buses, masked and dressed in black upon black.
“A huge one climbed the fence, with a plier and immediately cut off a few of the wires jumped into the compound and with an axe, broke the gate key open and zoom they made their first entry into my apartment.
“As a nude sleeper, while they tried to make their way into the compound, I found something to wear while my brothers and I were thinking of a way of escape.
“The worst case scenario for me is that they will rape or take the only valuable available (a car key) so I prepared my mind.
“The next thing I realized was that about 7 of them were already in my room with shouts of “lie down, face down, on the light, where’s your phone, where’s your car key, where’s this and that.. Confused me. Seeing over 25 hefty men with different kinds of guns, meehn, e don be, be that.
“I handed the phone to them with the key, before then, they have already taken hold of my laptop. I turned to be sure these were armed robbers, and they asked for my passwords to all the devices collected with masking tape to identify each.
“Still in shock, I heard someone destroying everything in the kitchen, my room, that of my brothers and all the drawers. I was still asking myself what’s happening? They asked me to stand and follow them downstairs, lo and beyond, they unmasked themselves, hmmmm..are these kind criminals? I asked. All my neighbors were already going through the same pain as I.
“They have already given my brothers a beating of their lives, carried my neighbour downstairs and tried unlocking all the cars in the compound. And after searching all the phones and laptops, three of their men walked in, lo and behold, it was EFCC. What? I screamed. Shut up, was the next thing l heard and when they couldn’t open my phone, they asked me to, I did and after a while I just asked, please where is your office so I can come pick up my things on my way to work, they asked me what I do and I said “journalist”, asked my neighbour he said “lawyer”, the other “doctor”. They looked at me, handed over the phones and said we just wasted our time”.
“These fools, spent over one hour molesting and destroying things in this compound. I feel so pained and embarrassed right now.
“Is this how EFCC operate? How did we get here? Who is the informant? I am just confused right now.”
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