The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the death of one of its officers during a raid in Anambra State, promising to bring the perpetrator to book.
Over the weekend, the death of the EFCC officer gained mileage on social media after the news broke about the incident.
Days after that, the EFCC confirmed the raid in Anambra and the death of one of its officers during the incident.
Following the officer’s death many Nigerians took to social media, condemning the agency for what some of them said was an illegal raid carried out at night.
But the commission faulted the claims, saying it viewed with “great concern the irresponsible, callous, inhuman and outrageous narratives being circulated on social media on the whys and wherefores of the fatal accident.
“It is heinous to reduce the death of a gallant officer who was carrying out patriotic and official duties to social media razzmatazz.
“More worrisome is the fact that some faceless commentators are pitching their tents with an alleged criminal who unleashed terror on officers of the EFCC in their line of duty.
There is no justification whatsoever to rationalise a murderous act. The milk of human kindness demands that a grieving family, Commission and nation should be spared the shenanigans of false narratives and conjectures on the death of the slain officer.”
Narrating how the incident happened, the statement noted that “Salisu, alongside other investigators of the EFCC, were at Dr. J.O. Ukwutinife Close, Ifite, Awka, Anambra State, to arrest some suspected internet fraudsters in the early hours of January 17.
The operation was duly documented at the Anambra State Command Headquarters and Area Command of the Nigeria Police in line with operational protocols.
“The operation was initially smooth sailing with 37 suspected internet fraudsters already arrested at a two-storey building housing Ikechukwu and other occupants of the house.
“However, Ikechukwu, who sighted the investigators through a CCTV Camera mounted at his doorpost and who also confessed sighting them, declined to open his door for the investigators who politely demanded entrance to his apartment. Defying all the introduction and physical sighting of the investigators, he resorted to firing shots at them and killed Salisu
in the process and wounded another officer detailed to conduct a search in his apartment.
“Preliminary investigations showed that Ikechukwu was involved in coding and online medical supplies of doubtful legitimacy. Two laptops, ipads, several recording devices were recovered from his apartment and his involvement in internet fraud is already established.
Though currently in police custody owing to the murderous dimension of his case, the Commission will surely bring him to trial.
