•Nigerian musician, Skales threatens legal action

The Chief Executive Officer of Lakers Lounge Hotel and Bar, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Oladimeji Ogunfolaju, has alleged that raids by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on his business have made him incur debts to the tune of N168 million.

He said the constant raids had paralysed business activities on his facility and his inability to pay his debt had made him to contemplate suicide.

Ogunfolaju, who pleaded that the excesses of the EFCC operatives be curtailed, said despite identifying some of the officials involved in the raids, he had yet to get justice.

He said, “The EFCC raided Club Lakers, Ikorodu, on June 3, which was led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Chris Odofin, from Abuja, with a combined team from Ibadan, Oyo State. During the raid, no fewer than 100 workers and customers were arrested and the raid adversely affected my business.

“The same anti-graft agency raided my business premises sometime in 2020 and the implication of the raid also adversely affected my business. I was still struggling to overcome the challenge and financial losses incurred when the second raid happened in 2022.

“I have lost about N1billion in revenue owing to these incessant raids by EFCC and other security operatives. I am in a serious financial crisis and customers no longer place trust in us in terms of their safety, and they stopped coming to the business premises for patronage.

“I applied for a N168 million loan and was servicing the loan after the first raid on my business when EFCC operatives raided the premises again in 2022. The raid brought colossal damage to my finances and I have not been able to service the loan.”

He explained that he is in huge financial debt because the loan he could no longer service has accrued interests and the account he used in running the loan has been in debt, adding that the business is no longer flourishing due to low customer patronage.

“I can’t imagine how a reputable anti-graft agency such as EFCC would raid a peaceful business facility and soil the image we have built over the years. I contemplated suicide because the thought of the loan repayment has been affecting me. The EFCC did injustice to me and my business, and I am hurt,” he lamented.

ALSO, popular singer, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales, has threatened to sue EFCC for breaking into his apartment through the back door. Heavily armed operatives of the agency had broken into the singer’s house over the claim of an intelligent report that he’s into fraudulent activities.

Skales said he was sleeping with his six-month-old daughter when the officers of the anti-graft agency broke into his house through the backdoor. The ‘Shake Body’ crooner said he had a panic attack.

He also claimed his record producer was injured by the EFCC operatives, who hit him with a stick on his leg. Speaking with The Guardian, his manager, Kolawole Ajayi, said: “They said someone gave them a tip that Skales is doing Yahoo, he asked for a warrant, but they didn’t show him anything. They sat everyone in the house on the floor. Skales gave them his phone and didn’t find anything. They picked someone who came to walk with the producer overnight and another person. They injured the producer in the house.

“They boasted that they had arrested many artists and called everyone yahoo boys and questioned where they got the money to buy big cars.

“We are not safe; there is nothing different from what they did and an armed robber coming into the house, they both carry guns, they both harass, so the only difference is one is using a badge and identity card to do it. Our lawyer is working on filing a petition.”

Reacting, spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said: “They are not telling the truth. Our men went there and they conducted themselves professionally. The mandate is for the society to have a sanitised environment, so nothing is personal; EFCC won’t go to a place without information”

“We gather intels, process, engage technology before going for an operation and isolate. The truth of the matter is that we were there and we conducted ourselves professionally.”

When asked about the issue of breaking into the apartment through the back door, he said: “Is it that the EFCC does not have the right under the law to process actionable intelligence? No raid takes place without adequate information and intelligence, so if the EFCC have been able to do preliminary checks, then is anyone questioning that mandate?

“Have you watched the FBI in operation before? Do they have to wait for suspects to come on their own when they know that the suspect is inside? Which method is right? Which method is wrong?” When asked if anything incriminating was found, he said: “I cannot answer the question.” (The Guardian)

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