The Authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has decried the Department of State Services (DSS), siege on its Lagos office situated at No. 15, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, describing the development as strange.
According to the information gathered, the DSS operative, this morning stormed the Lagos office of EFCC, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from gaining access to their office in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The secret police stormed the office around 7:00 am and refused to leave despite dialogue between operatives of both agencies.
The information further revealed that there has been a running battle between the two para-military agencies over who owns the office because the office was formerly occupied by DSS before the Federal Government handed it over to EFCC when it was created.
EFCC explained in a statement, “The operatives of the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrived at their office on No. 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, this morning, May 30, 2023, to be denied entry by agents of the Department of State Services, DSS, who had barricaded the entrance with armoured personnel carriers.
“This development is strange to the Commission given that we have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident.
“By denying operatives access to their offices, the Commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.
“Cases scheduled for courts hearings today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.
“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates.
“All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter.”
