Bashir Ahmad, the former media aide to the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, has come under fire on social media for defending the claim that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) only conducts night raids on fraudsters in the southern part of Nigeria.
Ahmad had said all the regions in Nigeria have their peculiar challenges and that internet fraudsters are not operating in the northern region, which was why the EFCC has not been seen conducting night raids on residents in the region.
The former presidential aide said:
“Every region has its own unique challenges. We all know that the EFCC rarely conducts sting operations in the early hours of the morning in the North because internet fraudsters are not as prevalent there.
“Similarly, we rarely hear of the military mistakenly bombing communities in the South because bandits are not commonly found there.”
North vs South: How Nigerians react to EFCC’s activities
However, some Nigerians have taken to the comment section of Bashir’s post and kicked against the claim of the former presidential aide. Below are some of their reactions:
Fendi wrote:
“The most concentration of internet fraudsters you will see in any region are found in the north.
“The only difference is they don’t show off or live a flamboyant lifestyle. Minna in Niger state is the headquarters of internet fraud in Nigeria. I stand to be corrected.
“Regardless, that doesn’t permit agents to barge into houses like armed robbers.”
Primus commented:
“Dear readers, don’t let @BashirAhmaad Gaslight you. The absence of EFCC home raids in the North is not because of a high moral standard. The truth is that there is no way EFCC would be allowed to raid a Hausa man’s house. They will incur the Sharia penalty of peeping on married women.”
A A Beli said:
“Is internet fraud the only crime the EFCC is meant to address? It seems most northern people often defend their region when it comes to the rare operations conducted by the EFCC. This regional bias is one of Nigeria’s major challenges, as certain regions appear to be prioritized over others.”
Revi reacted:
“Thank goodness you are also shedding light on your region. Your region is being ravaged by banditry and terrorism. Bashir, if you channel the energy you are channelling to the Hamas matter, I’m very sure that so many people would be aware of the situation, and we can fix the issue.”
Abode tweeted:
“This contains nothing but the truth.”
See the tweet here:
EFCC invites Okoya’s sons over video
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly sent an invitation to Okoya’s two sons.
Michael Wetkas, the acting director of the EFCC in Lagos, signed the invitation asking the brothers to report to the head operational team.