The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed that Wednesday’s attack by armed gunmen on its Abuja office will not deter it from its task of fighting corruption to a logical conclusion in the country.
Rather, the anti-graft agency says it will now be “fire for fire” between it and the corrupt elite in the society.
A top official of the EFCC, who spoke to the Daily Times in Abuja on the condition of anonymity, declared that the attack will further strengthen its resolve to do what is right.
The top official of the EFCC, who spoke exclusively to our correspondent in Abuja on the issue, also said: “The attack on our Abuja office is a mere distraction. It will not deter or scare us. Instead, it will motivate EFCC to fight corruption with vigour.
“The death threat to one of our investigators is a normal thing in the commission. The acting chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, always gets death threat every other day.
“We have received a lot of death threats in the course of doing our jobs because we are always stepping on the toes of powerful and corrupt elite who are not happy with our job of fighting corruption.
“But we are not daunted because we have a job to do and we will do our job conscientiously without minding whose ax is gored.
“These people are desperate to scuttle the war against corruption. But we will not allow them to ruin the future of
this country. The money they have stolen is our commonwealth and we have the mandate to stop them and recover their loots for the development of the country.
“I can assure you that the fight against graft is on course and we taking the crusade against corruption to another level in due course.
“The attack by these gunmen is of no consequence to the EFCC. With this attack, we will now further arm our operatives in order to protect them”.
A group of heavily armed gunmen, in the early hours on Wednesday, attacked the Abuja office of the EFCC, shooting sporadically into the office, thereby damaging several vehicles parked there.
The gunmen, who stormed the EFCC’s office located in Wuse Zone 7, Abuja at about 5am, left a death threat message addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the Commission.
Ishaku, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section, is in-charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military brass.
This development was confirmed in a statement issued and signed by the Commission’s head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The attack, according to the anti-graft agency, has already been reported to the police for necessary action.
The hoodlums, according to the statement, later escaped in a getaway vehicle after leaving their message of death for the EFCC operator.
The statement by Uwujaren reads: “A major security breach was recorded at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 16, 2017 as unknown gunmen attacked the office located at Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
“The group of heavily armed bandits invaded the office at about 05.00 hours and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked in the premises in the process.
“However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty.
“The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the Commission.
“Ishaku who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section is in-charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military brass hats.
“The attack on the Zone 7 office which houses the Commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, is coming few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor was shot and wounded by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“The latest incident has already been reported to the police for investigation”, the statement added.
