The fear of #ReformEFCC protest has left the Lagos head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), situated in Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, littered with heavily armed security officers.
This development is as a result of a planned protest against the anti-graft commission.
Indeed, one cannot blame the commission for taking this defensive measure, because to be forewarned, is to be forearmed.
Operatives of the Lagos State Anti-Crime Outfit – Rapid Response Squad (RRS), as well as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have taken over the surroundings and routes leading to the EFCC office, blocking the roads with patrol vans, heavy anti-riot gun trucks and Black Marias.
The protesters, under the tag – #ReformEFCC have outlined six key demands which will be submitted to various offices of the commission across the country.
The Demand
Some of their demands include:
“Respect our fundamental human rights.
“Stop indiscriminate arrest and invasion of people’s homes.
“End the destruction of people’s properties in the name of sting operation.
“Stop the profiling of young Nigerians.
“Stop assaulting and manhandling Nigerians.”
Perhaps, no one would have been thinking of a protest at this time if a video showing some EFCC officials manhandling a female Nigerian had not surfaced.
In the trending video, some officers of the anti-graft agency were captured manhandling a female staff of a hotel in Lagos.
The Protest
The video, coupled with other complains sparked nothing but outrage leading to a call for reforms in the agency.
The EFCC, on Wednesday, raised an alarm about the planned protest, warning that it won’t allow any breakdown of law and order.
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Again, on Thursday, the EFCC alleged that a former governor and two ex-ministers were behind the planned protests targeting the agency.
This claim was made by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, during a press briefing at the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee in Abuja.
Reform EFCC Protest
However, a Twitter user, @PidomNigeria said the protest is not sponsored by anyone and does not have a political undertone, but targeted at enforcing reforms in the EFCC.
The handle said: “This #ReformEFCC’s protest today is not sponsored by anyone, it’s not political, neither does it have any political undertone in it.
“It is purely a people centered organic peaceful protest, calling for a much needed reformation of EFCC, for a better performance. Anyone who is seen calling for Tinubu must go, or End APC at the protest venues, in order to give this peaceful protest a political coloration, will be handed over to the police by protesters.”