A collective of lawyers and the civil society group, Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture (INAHURAT), have urged Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to probe officers accused of blocking and deploying tear gas against Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) agents. The incident occurred while the EFCC was enforcing a Federal High Court interim forfeiture order at a property in Guzape, Abuja.
Dr. Maxwell Chibuike Opara, representing the group, condemned the confrontation as institutional lawlessness. He stated that armed individuals at the scene used chemical agents and threatened to shoot EFCC personnel. Despite this, the commission gained control of the premises and arrested two officers, while others retreated.
Opara questioned why police personnel were protecting the occupant, identified as Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, also known as Hajia Bilikisu. He noted that the property is linked to ongoing forgery charges against the suspect and is claimed by an 80-year-old widow, Collen Mero Yesufu. The group highlighted that federal regulations prohibit police escorts for unauthorized individuals.
The organization further alleged that the Nigerian Immigration Service facilitated the issuance of a fraudulent second passport for the suspect, circumventing standard biometric procedures. Consequently, they have called on the Minister of Interior and the Comptroller-General of Immigration to investigate this breach. Furthermore, the group requested the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to authorize the takeover of related prosecutions, citing concerns that current processes have been compromised.
