The management of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has demanded an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what it described as an “invasion of private property” by its operatives.
It also threatened legal action against the anti-graft agency should it fail to justify what it termed the “impudent actions” of its personnel.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abeokuta by its Managing Director, Vitalis Ortese, OOPL alleged that over 50 EFCC operatives stormed a private event at its premises around 2 a.m. on Sunday, firing gunshots and threatening to kill guests.
According to the statement, the EFCC team, led by one Olopade, arrived in a “Gestapo-style” operation that caused panic and chaos, leaving several participants injured as they attempted to flee. The incident, it noted, nearly resulted in carnage and spread fear among residents within the complex.
Ortese said that upon inquiry, Olopade claimed the raid was based on intelligence about the event, which was held in the amusement section of the facility. He further stated that the operatives told management that the police had been duly informed of the operation.
However, Ortese maintained that both the police officers stationed at the OOPL gates and additional personnel from Kemta Police Station—deployed at the request of the event organisers—denied any knowledge of the EFCC operation. He added that the EFCC team did not present a warrant.
“When confronted by OOPL security and assisting police officers, the armed men simply retorted, ‘We are doing our job’,” the statement read in part.
The OOPL described the incident as “a clear case of invasion of private property, infringement of OOPL rights as a corporate citizen, and a blatant violation of the rights of people gathered for the event.”
It disclosed that management had launched an internal investigation and would escalate the matter to the EFCC, the police, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
“In the meantime, management demands an explanation for these impudent actions and an apology from the EFCC authorities for the infringement of its rights, as well as to all those who sustained injuries from the gangster-like induced chaos. Failure to do so will compel us to seek redress and appropriate sanctions,” the statement added.
