- Pix above: Mr. Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Chair
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has reviewed its guidelines on arrest, bail and processing of suspects.
The review, which is premised on the need to adhere to the rule of law and international best practices in the treatment of suspects, was rolled out on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 across all its Commands.
Revealing this in Abuja within the week, Dele Oyewale, the agency’s Head of Media & Publicity, said: “In the new guideline, premium attention is focused on the rights of suspects, especially where arrest, detention and bail issues are concerned. Operational activities are to be tailored towards relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2011 and the EFCC’s Standard Operating Procedures, SOP.
“Specifically, operatives of the Commission are not allowed to demand for professional certificates of sureties as a bail condition. Also, every demand for international passport of suspects would henceforth be exercised with discretion, depending on the nature of the case, personality and country of residence of the suspect.”
Oyewale further informed that “Director, Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Commander of the EFCC, CE Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, cautioned that, ‘bail conditions served on suspects must be reasonable and practicable to be fulfilled by suspects and their sureties. Detention of suspects without a Remand Warrant for unreasonable length of time beyond the constitutionally-allowed period must henceforth stop forthwith’.
“Officers of the Commission are also warned against unwarranted violation of rights of suspects. He called for professionalism in all operational activities, stressing that “it is time to have a paradigm shift and change the narrative. Henceforth, professionalism shall be the watchword. Let’s follow the best international standards worth our identity as a flagship law enforcement agency,” he stressed.
…Bans sting operations at night
In another development, the EFCC Spokesman gave a hint on the ban of Sting Operations at night, saying: “in line with the newly-reviewed procedures on arrest and bail of suspects by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has directed that sting operations at night time be stopped in all the Commands of the EFCC.
“He gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Commission in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Already, many of the suspects duly profiled by the Command have been released, while profiling of suspects yet un-released will be completed, without further delay.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that it will not relent in its adherence to the rule of law, in the exercise of its mandate./SHARE THIS
- Tags: Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, Mr Dele Oyewale, EFCC
