By Ehichioya Steve Odion
Members of the Business and Hoteliers Forum, BHSF, Edo State Chapter has expressed their displeasure over the alleged incessant harassment of their customers by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC in Edo State.
They further said that the ugly incident has resulted in the crumbling of their businesses in the state, adding that their action has caused the exit of business owners in Edo State.
The body led by Omogiade Edokpolo made this known to Journalists yesterday at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin City.
He noted that the EFCC Benin Zonal Director in Edo State, Mr. Effa Okim has been illegally arresting their customers and Edo youths for over half a decade in the state, thereby causing a shift in perception of Edo being a place of tolerance and hospitality. They said they fear that if urgent steps were not taken, the arrests would continue thus putting their businesses in jeopardy.
The group said as a lawful organization, they decided to cry out to the Federal Government, State Governors, National Chairman of EFCC, NBA, and the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene and save their businesses.
They said the EFCC was supposed to be a law enforcement agent whose duty is to go after treasury looters and and those defrauding Nigerians, a practice they were reputed for in the past before they started going harassing innocent business owners.
They said their research has shown that their counterparts in other states are carrying on with their businesses without harassment and frequent arrests of their guests as is currently the case in Edo, describing the EFCC going by its latest operational style as an organization that defrauds the defrauders.
They said the recent illegal crack down and arrest of over 93 youths who attended a birthday party in one of the hotels in Benin City and taken into custody prompted the body to cry out to the general public for help and put an end to the ugly situation.
They however, said that as a body they practically have no problem with the agency, declaring support for legitimate activities of the EFCC, adding that they are ready to cooperate in cracking down those who have taken part in dubious acts, as opposed to the current and unacceptable acts of oppression by officials of the EFCC which has negatively affected their finances.
They alleged that the painful aspect of it is that they don't usually have arrest warrants when they are carry out such arrests in their facilities.
The body made some demands which include the immediate release of the 93 illegal Edo youths who are being detained in an unknown destination by the ant-graft agency.
That any time the EFCC operatives want to carry out any arrest in their hotel facilities, they must come with a legal warrant and carry the management of affected hotel(s) along.
They called on the National Chairman of the agency, Mr. Ola Olukoyede to as a matter of urgency transfer the zonal director from Edo State with immediate effect, as he has been part of the series of the illegal crack down and arrest of Edo youths without lawful reasons.
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