Abuja, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused a former governor and two ex-ministers of orchestrating protests against the agency.
This revelation was made by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, during a briefing at the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee in Abuja.
Oyewale disclosed that intelligence gathered from various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) implicated these political figures as the masterminds behind the planned demonstrations. He urged parents and guardians to caution their children against participating in protests about issues they do not fully understand.
This development follows a previous alarm raised by the EFCC on Wednesday, warning of plots by certain groups to organize protests against the commission. Addressing journalists, Oyewale highlighted that 259 civil society organizations, under the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reform, have withdrawn their support for the protests.
“I received a report that about 259 civil society organizations under the aegis of the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reform came out publicly on Wednesday to dissociate themselves from the so-called protests,” Oyewale stated. “Their intelligence indicates that an ex-governor and two former ministers are the arrowheads behind these protests.”
He emphasized that the protests are not in the national interest and cautioned youths against being exploited as tools for causes they do not comprehend. “The protest is not in the overall interest of the nation, and youths should be wary so that they will not be recruited and used as cannon fodder in a cause they really don’t understand,” he added.
Oyewale highlighted the broad support the EFCC has received from various stakeholders, including the media, in its anti-corruption efforts. He argued that the commission’s effectiveness is evidenced by the resistance it faces from those affected by its activities. “If you have a commission like the EFCC, you are not receiving some kind of attack, it either means that we are not effective, or the public is not concerned about what we are doing,” he noted.
Reiterating the EFCC’s commitment to its mandate, Oyewale stated, “We know that our activities are affecting people who have something to hide, and it is natural that they want to fight us. That’s why we came out publicly to say that the planned protests are not what they appear to be. We have a responsibility to inform the public.”
The EFCC continues to assert that its ongoing efforts to eliminate corruption in Nigeria are the root cause of the attacks it faces, stressing the importance of public awareness and support in its fight against corrupt elements.