The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has shed light on the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of some military personnel at its Kaduna facility on Monday.

In a statement released on Friday, EFCC Spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed that the agency apprehended five suspects at an eatery in Barnawa, Kaduna, following a tip-off about their alleged involvement in internet-related fraud activities. 

The suspects were identified as Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke.

However, the EFCC encountered an unexpected challenge when six military personnel, who witnessed the arrest, stormed the agency’s Kaduna office in an attempt to forcibly release the detained suspects. These actions resulted in the military personnel being subdued and detained for breaching security protocols.

The statement revealed that the EFCC leadership engaged in inter-agency communication with the Nigerian Air Force to resolve the issue. However, dialogue broke down on Friday when a group of unruly NAF officers attempted to forcefully free the detained personnel.

“Unfortunately, dialogue on the release of the combative Air Force personnel broke down on Friday, November 17, 2023, when some unruly NAF Officers stormed the Kaduna Command in a commando- style, to forcefully release their detained colleagues.

“The EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation and flagrant abuse of power. The Commission continued to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Air Force and released the officers to the NAF Provost after they had been duly profiled,” the statement read.

The EFCC reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to fulfilling its statutory mandate of combating economic and financial crimes without any form of obstruction.