Internet Fraudsters: EFCC, Air Force Officers Clash In Kaduna

Air Force officers reportedly barricaded the entrance to the EFCC zonal command office in Kaduna in response to the detention of some NAF personnel by the EFCC.

VerseNews reports that the clash stemmed from the arrest of suspected internet fraudsters by the EFCC, leading NAF personnel to demand their release.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, clarified that the face-off occurred because NAF personnel had stormed the EFCC facility seeking the release of the detained fraud suspects.

The EFCC had earlier arrested five suspects, namely Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke, on Monday for alleged internet fraud-related activities in Kaduna.

The arrests were made at a residential Inn and Disney Chicken Eatery in the Barnawa area of Kaduna metropolis.

“The suspected fraudsters: Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila and Solomon Olobatoke, were arrested without incident.

“However, after the sting operation, six military personnel who witnessed the operation at Disney Chicken Eatery stormed the Kaduna Command and attempted to forcibly release the arrested fraud suspects. They were subdued and detained over the security breach.

“The intruders are four Air Force personnel: Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman and Emmanuel Ekwozor, and two students of Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT: Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula.

“While in detention, there were inter-agency communication and discussions by the leadership of the EFCC and the Nigerian Air Force, NAF to resolve the issues.

“Unfortunately, dialogue on the release of the combative Air Force personnel broke down on Friday, November 17, 2023, when some unruly NAF officers stormed the Kaduna Command in a commando-style, to forcefully release their detained colleagues.

“The EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation and flagrant abuse of power. The Commission continued to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Air Force and released the officers to the NAF Provost after they had been duly profiled,” Oyewale stated.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force was yet to comment on the incident.