In the early hours of Saturday, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission conducted a midnight operation at private hostels near the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto resulting in the arrest of students.
Eyewitnesses reported that the operation took place in the Kwakwalawa and Gidan Yaro communities surrounding the campus.
According to one source, dozens of students were apprehended during the raid.
A student who identified himself as Abdul described the scene as chaotic, initially mistaking the EFCC operatives for kidnappers.
“It was like a scene from a movie. We thought they were kidnappers at first, but then we saw the EFCC logo on their vests,” he said.
Abdul added that the operatives did not provide any explanation or show warrants during the arrests.
Another student, speaking anonymously, criticized the operation, stating that such actions are unacceptable in a civilized society.
Efforts to reach the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ismaila Muhammad, for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone could not be reached at the time of this report.
A senior staff member of the university, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that at least 40 students were initially detained.
However, after preliminary investigations, 30 of them were released, with 10 still in EFCC custody.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the arrest of the students but clarified that only 13 individuals were apprehended in connection with suspected internet fraud.
“We don’t do raids. The word ‘raid’ connotes force, and we don’t do that. What we do regularly is sting operations, which are a globally accepted method of conducting arrests,” Oyewale said.
He also noted that the arrests took place outside the university campus at two separate locations and were targeted at suspected internet fraudsters.
The incident has sparked discussions about the conduct of law enforcement operations around educational institutions and the rights of students during such activities.
