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By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described the presence of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at its office in Lagos State as a siege.
Recall that DSS operatives had in the early hours of Tuesday stormed the EFCC office, located at 15, Awolowo Road, in Ikoyi area of Lagos State, and prevented officials of the anti-graft agency from entering the premises.
DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, also said that the building belongs to the secret police.
But a statement issued on Tuesday by EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the development is strange to the commission because they have cohabited with the DSS in the facility for about 20 years without any incident.
While maintaining silence on the ownership of the building, EFCC condemned the action of the DSS, describing it as shocking.
“By denying operatives access to their offices, the commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.
“Cases scheduled for a court hearing on Tuesday have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended. Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates.
“All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter,” Uwujaren said.