EFCC Looted Our Bars, Carted Away Our CCTV Engines -Club Owners
…They Destroyed Multimillion Naira Valuables
BOLU-OLU ESHO, Akure
Owners of night clubs invaded by officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) have reeled out their experiences in the hands of the anti-graft agents during the invasion.
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Addressing newsmen at a press briefing in Akure on Monday, the Chairman of Ondo State Lounge And Club Owners Association(OSLACOA), Mr. Abayomi Ajepe described the attitude of the anti-graft agents as barbaric.
He disclosed that at first, they thought it was armed robbers that gained access to the clubs because the EFCC officials were all wearing mask to hide their identity .
Giving his experience when the EFCC officials invaded Signatures Club, the Manager, Ayo Abass-Akinwande disclosed that agents went to the bar and swept several expensive wines and whisky off the shelf and broke them.
He said the agents carted away some of the expensive wines and whisky, while they drank some of them.
He said they threatened to shoot some members of his staff who were on uniform while lying facedown on the order of the anti-graft agents who were masked and armed to the teeth.
Abass-Akinwande said: “At about 1:30am on Saturday June 8, 2024, the men of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) came into our premises. There were about 40 of them and they came with about 10 unregistered Toyota buses.
“The only thing that could be used to identify them was their red jackets and the guns. The introduction they gave to the security men at our gate, who couldn’t identify them immediately, was beatings and some of them sustained injuries in the process.
“After gaining access into our premises, they rounded everybody up and instructed them to lie down on the floor. Using snooker sticks(cues) to beat people to comply, both male and female customers were dealt with mercilessly.
“Other members of their team went into the club and rounded everyone up and releasing tear-gas in the process. We were lucky to have adequate first aid materials in the premises that were used by our staffers to rescue some of the customers that had various forms of medical emergencies.
“While they identify some of our staffers and allowed them to go, others were still beaten after identification.
“The CCTV engine room was completely turned upside down and the CCTV engine was taken away.
“We wish to make it very clear that no one reserved our premises for any kind of party as we are just a business entity carrying out the business we duly registered with the government of Nigeria to do.
“All over the world people set aside weekends to unwind and this is exactly what was happening in our business premises.
“Finally, we wish to apologize to all our customers who witnessed this unfortunate incident and promise to lawfully engage all relevant authorities to prevent such incident from reoccurring. This incident will not deter us from serving you better.”
The agents also went away with the club’s DJ’s branded laptop computers.
Prince Ayo Alabi, owner of Abah Royale Hotel And Suites, expressed shock at the way the anti-graft agents harassed some couples who lodged in his facility.
He disclosed that his staffer called to inform him on phone.
Prince Alabi revealed that he watched on his handset connected to the CCTV of the hotel, the operations of the officials of EFCC as they broke into rooms with their boots and drank to stupor wines taken from the shelf at the bar.
He disclosed that after about one hour, the CCTV went off as the invaders went into the room where the engine is kept.
According to him, the anti-graft agents carted away the CCTV engine for reason he couldn’t figure out.
It was revealed that a Nigerian football international, Tiger, who was the club was harassed despite identifying himself.
He was said to have been released after the intervention of some people who identified him, but his white G-Wagon was driven away by the anti-graft agents to Ibadan.
There were allegations by some personalities, who preferred anonymity, that some of the people arrested were released after parting ways with gold necklace, wristwatches and cash.
Besides, social media are awash with series of video footages of the operations of the anti-graft agents.
However, the club owners declared that they would approach the court for redress.
