The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has lamented the poor performance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the leadership of Abdulrasheed Bawa.

The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to take urgent steps to save the anti-graft agency.

This was contained in a statement co-signed by the group’s National President, Okwu Nnabuike, and it’s National Secretary, Obinna Achionye.

Recalling what they described as “the gestapo style’’ with which EFCC operatives invaded the residence of Rochas Okorocha in Abuja, the Ohanaeze youths said Bawa had destroyed the reputation of the agency.

Nnabuike said: “The Zamfara State government, under the administration of Governor Bello Matawalle, has also been harassed unnecessarily by agents of EFCC.

“Matawalle, who has restored some level of normalcy in Zamfara, does not deserve such reckless distraction. We have no doubt that the move, like many others, is politically induced. Enough of the media trial and witch-hunt; the governor must be allowed to concentrate.

“The EFCC has never been this ridiculed as we are seeing under Bawa.

“The agency has become an agent of witch-hunt, and merely doing the bidding of powers that be. It has not been forgotten how the EFCC, under Bawa’s watch, invaded the residence of Rochas Okorocha, a serving Senator, and treated him as a common criminal.

“Just the other day, the EFCC approached a court and got an interim forfeiture order against Ike Ekweremadu, who is already undergoing the most excruciating trying moment in the United Kingdom.”

Several residents of the Southern part of the country have also fallen victim of EFCC brutality, as residences of innocent citizens are invaded in the middle of the night, leaving their windows, burglary proofs and roofs removed, only for the graft agency to apologise later that it acted in error.

“It is our view that the country cannot continue with such crude form of operation. Media trials, illegal invasions and arrests can never be the hallmark of a serious anti-graft agency. Nigerians have suffered enough humiliation, and this is why we are demanding that it is time for Bawa to go.” (The Guardian)

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