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A traumatised resident of Asaba, Delta State, has raised an alarm over a “Gestapo-style” midnight raid by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing how heavily armed men stormed a residential compound using sledgehammers and ladders.
In a viral video shared on X by @General_Somto, a victim, who identified himself as a content creator, narrated the harrowing experience of the invasion, which allegedly took place between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
The victim recounted how the stillness of the night was suddenly broken by a large contingent of the anti-graft agency. At first, he feared an attack by cultists or armed robbers, but only realised they were government agents upon spotting their insignia.
“EFCC raided my compound in Asaba last night. It was around 2 am to 3 am that they struck,” the victim narrated. “We just heard a bang on my gate, not 10, not 20 men; over 70 to 80 operatives entered the compound.
“I was observing from the window. First, I felt they were all those ‘senior men’, criminals or cultists. When I looked well, I saw the EFCC badge on their back. I was traumatised; the tension was too high.”
According to the report, the operatives came equipped with specialised tools to ensure no resident could escape. The witness described how the team used ladders to scale balconies for those living upstairs and sledgehammers to destroy the doors of private apartments.
“The next thing I heard was a big bang; they just smashed my door ‘Gbim, Gbim,’” he said. “I shouted, ‘Please hold on, let me open the door.’ I opened the door and when they entered, one person asked me to bring my phone. I told him I am not a ‘Yahoo boy,’ I am a content creator, see my equipment.”
The resident noted that his young child was present during the break-in, which he believes prevented the operatives from becoming more violent with him.
“God saved me with my child who was with me. After observing me, the other operatives asked him [the agent] to come out.”
Neighbors ‘Abducted’ in Deep Sleep
The witness lamented that his neighbors were not as fortunate, describing a scene of absolute confusion as residents were hauled away in their sleep.
“When they left my house, they faced my neighbours. They came prepared so there’s no way you can escape. One of my neighbours had his generator on; they put it off. He was in a deep sleep. When they entered, they woke him and carried him. He didn’t even understand what was going on. Until they carried him into their car, he didn’t know what was happening,” the victim added.
The Asaba raid adds to the growing notoriety of the EFCC’s nocturnal operations across Nigeria.
Despite repeated public outcry and legal concerns regarding the violation of the right to privacy and the trauma inflicted on innocent family members, the agency has continued to favor midnight “sting operations.”
Human rights advocates have frequently condemned these methods, arguing that using sledgehammers to break into the homes of sleeping citizens without a prior invitation or clear identification constitutes a gross abuse of power.
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