The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been involved in a clash with the officers of the Nigerian Air Force over the arrest of some officials of the NAF in Kaduna State.

The EFCC operatives had, on Monday, November 13, 2023, arrested five suspects at a residential Inn and Disney Chicken Eatery, Barnawa, Kaduna.

The suspected fraudsters were identified as Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke.

It was gathered that the NAF officers, on Friday morning, invaded the EFCC office in Kaduna to enforce the release of their colleagues from detention.

The soldiers, who arrived at the EFCC office in five Hilux patrol vans at about 10 a.m., surrounded the main gate of the anti-graft agency, thereby preventing the EFCC officials from going in or coming out of their offices.

Confirming the incident via a statement on Friday night, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the suspects were arrested after “credible intelligence about their alleged internet-related fraud activities”, adding that they were nabbed without incident.

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Oyewale stated: “However, after the sting operation, six military personnel who witnessed the operation at Disney Chicken Eatery, stormed the Kaduna Command and attempted to forcibly release the arrested fraud suspects.  They were subdued and detained over the security breach.

“The intruders are four Air Force personnel: Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman and Emmanuel Ekwozor, and two students of Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT:  Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula.

“While in detention, there were inter-agency communication and discussions by the leadership of the EFCC and the Nigerian Air Force, NAF to resolve the issues.

“Unfortunately, dialogue on the release of the combative Air Force personnel broke down on Friday, November 17, 2023, when some unruly NAF Officers stormed the Kaduna Command in a commando-style, to forcefully release their detained colleagues.

“The EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation and flagrant abuse of power. The Commission continued to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Air Force and released the officers to the NAF Provost after they had been duly profiled.

“The EFCC wishes to assure the public that it will continue to carry out its statutory mandate of tackling all cases of economic and financial crimes, without let or hindrance.”

The Star