The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has defended an early morning operation carried out at Applewood Estate on Orchid Road in Lekki at 5am on Monday 26 October. The raid resulted in the arrest of 21 suspected fraudsters.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated that five exotic cars were recovered during the operation. He explained that the raid followed several weeks of surveillance. Preliminary investigations have led to the indictment of 19 of those arrested, while two have been released.
According to the Commission, the suspects are alleged to have defrauded victims through impersonation. The methods reportedly involved the use of gift cards, cryptocurrency and international transfers.
The EFCC maintains that the timing and scale of the operation were necessary given the nature of the alleged offences and the surveillance work that preceded the arrests. The Commission has not released the names of those indicted or further details of the vehicles recovered.
The raid comes at a time when the EFCC has in recent times been criticised for its violent tactics during raids. The Commission has previously faced public and legal scrutiny over the methods employed in some of its operations in residential areas.
By A.Ikechukwu
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