....we have CCTV footage of what happened
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday said it is in possession of CCTV footage of the recent raid on a "yahoo boys" party in Akure, Ondo State.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale, who disclosed this during an interview with TVC, in Abuja, dismissed allegations of brutality and injury during the raid.
Oyewale explained that the footage shows the operatives' arrival at the party, the arrest of 127 suspects, and the retrieval of evidence without any incident of brutality or damage to property.
He clarified that the raid was intelligence-driven and targeted at suspected fraudsters, contrary to reports of indiscriminate arrest and harassment.
Oyewale said: "The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, said clearly that the Commission will no longer be undertaking raids, but there is no law enforcement agency that will tell you it will no longer engage in sting operations.
"Our operatives did not go in the night, they went in the early hours of the day. It was a 'Yahoo Party' and our intelligence showed that all of the 127 suspects arrested were in the party.
"Most of the videos circulating online are fake videos, they are not authentic. We will do a forensic analysis of the video to establish the fact that the videos did not originate from that particular scene of the crime.
"Nobody was brutalized, nobody was wounded. They were only asked to submit their phones. Most of the girls they are talking about are in our Ibadan office right now to reclaim their phones.
"The manager of one of the clubs, who is a suspect, was the one who mandated his ICT staff to remove the CCTV, and when they did, he handed it over to our operatives.
"The EFCC is in custody of the footage of what happened on Saturday night, because the footage, together with the CCTV, we removed it."
The development came as the EFCC faces criticism over its handling of the raid, with some accusing the agency of heavy-handedness and selectivity in its anti-corruption efforts.
In response, the anti-graft agency reiterated its intention to arrest former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, who was declared wanted months ago over corruption allegations.
Bello has been accused of embezzlement and financial crimes, and the EFCC has vowed to bring him to justice.
Oyewale stated that the search for Bello continues, and he will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
He said, "The issue of former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, is public knowledge. We are in court against him. The next court appearance is June 13, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
"It is wrong for anybody to say that the EFCC is involved in selective prosecution. There is no basis or argument to justify that claim. All our activities are broad-based, fully integrated, professional, and non-selective."
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