Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has disclosed that intelligence from various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) indicates a former governor and two ex-ministers are orchestrating protests against the commission.
On Wednesday, the EFCC alerted the public about the imminent protests. Speaking at the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Oyewale announced that 259 CSOs, under the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reform, have withdrawn their support for the protests.
Oyewale stated, “I received a report that about 259 CSOs under the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reform publicly dissociated themselves from the protests on Wednesday. Their withdrawal significantly weakens the moral foundation of the protests. According to their intelligence, a former governor and two former ministers are the key figures behind these planned demonstrations.”
He added, “We have our own intelligence that supports this claim. The protests are not in the nation’s best interest, and youths should be cautious not to be exploited for a cause they do not fully understand. The Commission is receiving robust support nationwide, including from the media and other anti-corruption stakeholders.”
Oyewale emphasized that those calling for the end of the EFCC are typically individuals adversely affected by the commission’s actions. “If the EFCC were not facing any opposition, it would imply that we are either ineffective or irrelevant to the public. Our efforts are naturally going to provoke resistance from those with hidden agendas,” he said.
He further warned parents and guardians to discourage their children from participating in the protests, stressing the importance of understanding the underlying issues.
