The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is adamant that there were neither assaults nor unprofessional conduct of any kind in the arrest of 127 suspects in Akure, Ondo State, over the weekend.

It took to its verified X handle to issue a statement headlined, ‘EFCC’s Akure Arrests: Setting the Records Straight’, to affirm that 127 persons were apprehended by operatives of the Ibadan Zone of the Commission.

The suspects, it added were being interrogated before being arraigned.

The statement was signed by Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, which asserted that “The Operatives executed a classical sting operation at two Clubs simultaneously in Akure based on credible intelligence, leading to the arrest of the suspected fraudsters. The operation, in line with the established ground norm for such engagement, was devoid of any incident as the Operatives conducted themselves professionally.”

The statement added that the Operatives were not armed with neither canisters of tear gas nor whips, wondering where the narrative about assaults emanated from, since it had obtained the CCTV footage of the scenes.

“The officers that carried out the arrests neither came to the scene of crime with canister of tear gas nor whips, to inflict bodily injuries on suspects,” it added.

It assured that it would subject the video footages, which it claimed were made up to forensic audits with a view to getting to the root of the matter and possibly getting the culprits to face the music.

The statement reads, “Arising from the misinformation and distortion of facts about the arrest of 127 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, it becomes imperative to clearly present the true facts of the operation.

“The Operatives executed a classical sting operation at two Clubs simultaneously in Akure based on credible intelligence, leading to the arrest of the suspected fraudsters. The operation, in line with the established ground norm for such engagement, was devoid of any incident as the Operatives conducted themselves professionally.

“It was therefore shocking to be confronted with narratives particularly from the social media about brutalisation, including a trending video of two ladies showing bodies lacerated by whips. The Commission wants the public to discountenance this video as it may have been stage managed to achieve motives that are unclear. The Commission will subject this video to forensic analysis to establish its falsehood and prepare a case against purveyors of this distasteful stunt.

“The Commission wishes to state that no suspect was assaulted, brutalised or subjected to any dehumanising treatment during the Saturday operation. It is also false that tear gas was fired at the crime scene. Those familiar with the Commission’s operations know that EFCC personnel do not use tear gas during sting operation. The officers that carried out the arrests neither came to the scene of crime with canister of tear gas nor whips, to inflict bodily injuries on suspects.

“It is also important to state that no damage was done to the CCTV facility at the scene of the arrest. The device was removed by a staff of the Club at the instance of operatives of the Commission to preserve the footages for further analysis of the role of each of the arrested suspects in the alleged crime.

“Specifically, one of the arrested suspects, the manager of the Club, who confessed to the crime and directed the removal of the CCTV device for further investigative works by the Commission, is in the custody of the EFCC with the CCTV. He is assisting in the investigation of the crime.

“It is needful to state, for the umpteenth time, that the Standard Operating Procedure of the EFCC foreclose the use of brute force or unprofessional conduct in the course of any operation. The EFCC is a civilized law enforcement agency with optimal respect for human dignity and the rule of law.

“Meanwhile, profiling of suspects arrested at the scene of the crime has been completed. They will be prosecuted accordingly.”