Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was subjected to a disruptive encounter as operatives from the Department of State Security (DSS) stormed the premises, obstructing EFCC officials from gaining access.
The confrontation, which took place at the Ikoyi office in Lagos, reportedly stems from an ongoing rivalry between the two agencies over the ownership of the building.
Reliable sources within both organizations disclosed to news men that the dispute had been simmering for some time. The DSS operatives arrived at the office premises at approximately 7:00 am on Tuesday, adamantly refusing to vacate the area despite attempts at dialogue between representatives of both agencies. An impeccable source confirmed these events during a telephone interview with our correspondent.
An EFCC official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, shed light on the situation, stating, “There’s been a running battle between us and the DSS over who owns the office because the office was used by them before the EFCC came on board and it was handed over to us. But it’s been an administrative issue, and the matter is not in court and hasn’t caused any fracas before now. But we don’t understand why they have to block our office and deny our officials access when a new government just came in.”
Contrarily, a source within the DSS emphasized their claim, asserting, “The office used to be ours, and we have been fighting over it for years now, and the EFCC knows.”
Notably, both Wilson Uwujaren of the EFCC and Dr. Peter Afunaya of the DSS, who serve as spokespersons for their respective agencies, are yet to make any comments on the matter.
The situation at the Lagos office of the EFCC remains tense as officials grapple with the unexpected disruption to their operations. The ownership dispute, which has now escalated to the point of physical confrontation, raises concerns about the seamless functioning of Nigeria’s key anti-graft agency.
As investigations into the incident continue, stakeholders eagerly await an amicable resolution to the ownership dispute and a restoration of normalcy at the affected office.
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