EFCC and midnight raids on students’ hostels

The continuous raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives on students’ hostels in tertiary institutions in the country even after such had been banned by the commission, has become a source of concern. One of the recent cases of a midnight raid was carried out by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC, when 48 students of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, were arrested for alleged internet fraud.

The anti-graft body said the move was a sequel to credible intelligence over the rising trend of the menace in Kwara State, especially on campuses. In a statement issued on Thursday, February 22, 2024, by the Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the commission said the move was intended to free states of corruption and other nefarious activities of fraudsters otherwise labelled as Yahoo boys. It would be recalled that the same Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC on September 19, 2021, raided the hostels of KWASU students and arrested 30 suspected internet fraudsters.

Shortly before the recent swoop on KWASU, students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, also suffered the same fate. Personnel of the EFCC reportedly broke into hostel rooms at about 2.00am and arrested some students. The video clips of this raid which was shared and circulated by students on social media showed broken window frames believed to be evidence of forced entry.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of Corporate Communication, FUTA, Adegbenro Adebanjo, clarified that the sting operation by the EFCC operatives was not within the hostels or precincts of the university; adding that “the incident in question happened in private hostels off campus.” He, nonetheless, noted that FUTA had strong reservations about the timing and mode of the operation carried out in the wee hours of Wednesday, February 14, 2024. He decried the deployment of such dangerous tactics by the EFCC in its operations.

Also in November last year, 69 students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, were arrested by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal command of the EFCC in a raid carried out on some off-campus hostels of the university. Following the nationwide outrage that trailed this midnight raid on OAU students, the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, ordered the stoppage of sting operations at night by officers in all its commands across the country.

Certainly, and expectedly, authorities in various tertiary institutions across the country support efforts that seek to address and bring perpetrators of all forms of crimes, including cyber-related crimes to face the consequences of their actions within the ambits of the law. This explains why universities have their peculiar rules and regulations clearly spelt out in the Student Handbook which newly admitted students swear and sign during the matriculation oath-taking ceremony. The violation of any aspect of the matriculation oath attracts various forms of disciplinary measures depending on the degree of the offence committed. This puts tertiary institutions on the same page as the EFCC in the fight against internet fraud and all other forms of criminality.

As law enforcers who should be law-abiding themselves, we call on the EFCC operatives to henceforth, and in compliance with the directive of the commission’s chairman, stop carrying out midnight raids on students’ hostels. The apprehension of suspected fraudsters among students should not expose innocent students and members of the institution’s host community to psychological trauma or any form of bodily injury.

In addition to collaborating with the institutions’ security units which have the mandate of securing students in their hostels, the EFCC should be more creative in its operational duties by further exploring modern technological tools and devices to track and apprehend suspects, whether they reside on or off-campus. It is unfortunate that some campuses have, in the past three to four decades, become a dirty stage for criminal activities that were hitherto only heard of outside of our ivory towers.

The society and homes are encouraged to cooperate with authorities of the institutions where their children have enrolled for studies, with a view to making sure that their children and wards obey all university rules and regulations throughout their residency period as students. While we urge parents to advise their children to be wary of undesirable lifestyles and shun bad company, it is important that they find time to properly educate their children about the grave consequences of being cybercriminals. The EFCC, as a law enforcement agency, should mutually partner with tertiary institutions so that the shared mandate of bringing up responsible citizens who are worthy in knowledge and character would be fulfilled.