Insights have been provided by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding the altercation between its operatives at the Kaduna Zonal Command and officers of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF).
According to a statement from the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyawale, the agency conducted an arrest operation on Monday, November 13, 2023, apprehending five suspects involved in alleged internet-related fraud activities at a residential inn and Disney Chicken Eatery in Barnawa, Kaduna. The suspects, namely Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke, were taken into custody without any incident.
Oyawale further explained that following the operation, six military personnel, who had witnessed the arrests at Disney Chicken Eatery, later attempted to forcefully release the detained fraud suspects. These intruders comprised four Air Force personnel identified as Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman, and Emmanuel Ekwozor, along with two students from the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula. Due to the security breach caused by their actions, they were subdued and detained.
Efforts were made for inter-agency communication and discussions between the EFCC and NAF leadership to address the situation. However, the dialogue regarding the release of the confrontational Air Force personnel broke down on Friday, November 17, 2023, when a group of unruly NAF officers stormed the Kaduna Command in an aggressive manner, aiming to forcibly release their detained colleagues.
Despite facing provocation, the EFCC exercised restraint and eventually released the officers to the NAF Provost after proper profiling had been conducted.
