President Bola Tinubu has directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi, Lagos, immediately.
The order is contained in a statement by the president’s spokesperson, Tunde Rahman made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Tinubu gave the directive following the face-off between the two security agencies earlier on Tuesday.
It read: “President Bola Tinubu has directed the Department of State Security Service to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos.
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“The President gave the directive when reports that DSS officials stormed the EFCC office located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Tuesday, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from accessing their work place, was brought to his attention.
“The President said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably”.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed details of the incident that occurred at its Lagos Office located at Awolowao Road, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
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The EFCC in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren on Tuesday confirmed reports that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) barricaded the Commission’s office with armored personnel carriers, denying operatives access to the office.
The statement read partly: “This development is strange to the Commission given that we have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident.
“By denying operatives access to their offices, the commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.
“Cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who have been invited for questioning are left unattended.
“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates. All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter”.
The DSS had earlier debunked claims that its operatives barricaded the EFCC office in Lagos after media reports revealed the tussle between both parties earlier on Tuesday.
Sources said that the dispute was based on ownership of the building, but the DSS in its response said, “there was no controversy over the building” and “there is no rivalry between the Service and the EFCC”.
