The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released one serving officer of the Nigerian Army and seven operatives of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) allegedly involved in Internet-related fraud.
Channels TV reports that the suspects were arrested on Monday, November 13, by the Kaduna State Zonal Office of the anti-graft authority and detained by the Commission for further investigation and possible prosecution.
However, on the morning of Friday, November 17, a dramatic turn of events occurred when armed NAF soldiers broke into the EFCC office at 4 Urno Street in the state capital and forced the release of the detained suspects.
Arriving at the EFCC office at around 10:00 a.m. in five Hilux patrol vans, the soldiers surrounded the main gate of the Commission and prevented EFCC officials from entering and exiting.
The incident escalated into a confrontation between the Air Force personnel and EFCC security personnel, who engaged in a shouting match and threatened to pull the trigger on each other.
A short meeting between the EFCC zone head and the Air Force team leader later resulted in the release of the suspect and the situation was resolved.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said that following the incident, the EFCC decided to release the suspect upon completion of the investigation and forensic profiling
Oyewale explained that the release and handing over of the suspects to their respective agencies was not done in accordance with the Commission’s standard operating procedures, adding that the suspects would be summoned to court at the appropriate time despite their release to their respective agencies.