The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has dismissed allegations by Nigerian musician and hotel owner, Felix Duke, that its operatives raided his hotel in Lagos and took foreign currency.
Duke, who is also president of the Creative Industry Group, told reporters that on August 1, eight armed men came to the Duke and Duchess Hotel in Abule Egba in an unmarked bus, claiming to be EFCC officials but showing no warrant.
“They blocked the hotel entrance, chased away customers, and forcibly entered rooms, saying they were looking for me. I later found out they made away with €5,000 from my room,” Duke said.
He claimed the men tried to detain his American wife, who refused without a court order. Duke linked the incident to a land dispute with a retired soldier who had petitioned the EFCC against him. He said he had also filed a petition against the same person.
The musician said he has gone to court against the EFCC and the petitioner, seeking a formal apology and N50 million in damages for breach of his rights.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Saturday, denied any involvement. “There is nothing like that. The Lagos Directorate confirmed no such operation occurred. It’s not the EFCC,” he said.
Oyewale explained that the agency’s latest Lagos operation was on Wednesday at Chevron on Lagos Island, which led to several arrests. He advised Duke to “redirect his energy and insinuations to other quarters, not the EFCC.”
