Senior Nigerian lawyer Olisa Agbakoba has branded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a “terrorist organization” and accused it of abusing its powers to instill fear in the Nigerian public.
Appearing on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Friday, Agbakoba expressed concern over the actions of the EFCC and its overlapping responsibilities with other law enforcement agencies.
Agbakoba called for a reevaluation of the EFCC’s role, pointing to confusion among other agencies such as the Special Fraud Unit and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
“Why do we have the EFCC, Special Fraud Unit, and ICPC all doing the same thing, yet they are not catching anybody?” he questioned.
Agbakoba who acknowledged some of the EFCC’s achievements, also criticised its handling of prominent cases, including the treatment of former police officials.
“Even Tarfa, as rogue as he was, being dragged – was that correct?” he asked, suggesting that their tactics reflect poor judgement. “In a sane society, do you bring a former Inspector General of Police and drag him? That’s not right.”
Agbakoba lambasted the EFCC over their approach: “These guys are terrorists. In my view, they terrorize us. They use their might, in their red coats, to terrorize us so that when you hear EFCC, you become scared. That’s not what a law enforcement agency should be.”
He called on the National Assembly to clarify the EFCC’s role and advised for reforms to ensure the agency functions as intended.