KEY POINTS
- EFCC says library was not under investigation.
- 93 suspected fraudsters arrested during a pool party.
- 23 suspects to face court on August 15.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission pushed back Thursday against claims that it targeted the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library during a sting that netted 93 suspected internet fraudsters.
The library’s management had accused the agency of staging a calculated attack on the former president by arresting guests at its guest house, demanding N3.5 billion in damages and a public apology.
EFCC denies targeting Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said the operation took place at a hotel within the precincts of the library, not the library itself. He said the arrests were based on intelligence that a pool party celebrating alleged illicit earnings was being held there.
Cybercrime suspects moved venue to evade arrest
Oyewale said the organisers had first planned the party at two other locations but later moved it to the hotel to avoid detection. Many of the suspects, he added, have confessed to offences including impersonation, identity theft, and online fraud.
Court date set for August 15 arraignment
The EFCC plans to arraign 23 of the suspects before the Federal High Court in Lagos on August 15, with the rest to follow in batches. Finally the agency reiterated that the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library itself was never a target of its investigation.
