The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has come under fire following its recent night raid on the residence of suspected cybercriminals.

This comes after the death of an EFCC officer who was shot dead on Friday during a night raid in Anambra by a suspected fraudster when they stormed his house to conduct an operation.

Another officer also sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital for medical care.

This incident has led many to question the intentions of the EFCC to conduct such raids at night despite a ban in place by the EFCC in 2023.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, reacting to the incident, expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the EFCC.

He questioned why the EFCC would pamper politicians accused of corruption or embezzlement but harass and brutalise other citizens.

In a post shared on his social media page, Inibehe stated that he used to be a supporter of the EFCC, frequently defending the agency and participating in their initiatives, including their annual anti-corruption event.

However, he noted that although he still supports their fight against corruption, he believes the commission is no longer on the right track.

According to Inibehe, recently he has noticed that the EFCC has problems of corruption, partisanship, nepotism, and professionalism.

Inibehe said, “I used to defend the EFCC vigorously and was invited in the past to some of their events in Lagos, including their yearly anti-corruption march.

“When a judge of the Akwa Ibom State High Court gave a terrible injunction barring the EFCC, ICPC and others from investigating government officials, past and present, I went all out to ensure that the illegal injunction was vacated.

“When Ibrahim Magu was being haunted, I filed a lawsuit on behalf of the HEDA Resource Centre at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the attempts to remove him.

“No one can say that I ever sought any kind of favours from the EFCC. Though I am still supportive of any attempt by the EFCC to fight corruption, I’m no longer an outspoken ‘ally’ of the Commission.

“My impression of the Commission has changed in recent years. I will not attack their legitimate efforts, but at the same time I’m not going to pretend that they are on track.

“The Commission has a corruption problem, a partisanship problem, a nepotism problem, and a professionalism problem.

“Their modus operandi has not inspired public confidence. The way they pamper politicians is at variance with the way they handle other cases.

“The EFCC cannot be raiding the homes of innocent people at odd hours, break doors, harass and brutalize the occupants, and still expect public support. They do not offer apology or compensation when they act unprofessionally.

“Also, the war against corruption has taken the backseat. They need to change their modus operandi if they want public support.”