EFCC alerts public to fake operatives running extortion rings, staged raids

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised the alarm over a surge in criminal activity by individuals impersonating its officers, warning Nigerians to be wary of fake operatives conducting sham raids and extorting members of the public in the guise of enforcement operations.

In a public alert issued Tuesday, the EFCC identified at least three distinct groups exploiting its identity for criminal purposes.

The first, according to the Commission, is a gang operating around popular eateries and recreation spots in major Nigerian cities, laying ambush for young people and accusing them of internet fraud before dispossessing them of valuables. The suspects, the EFCC said, don fake uniforms mimicking those of authentic operatives and ferry their victims to locations designed to resemble EFCC offices.

A second group targets motorists, flagging down vehicles on the pretext of number plate irregularities and brandishing dangerous weapons to extort cash from drivers.

The third and perhaps most brazen category involves online fraudsters and fake content creators staging dramatic mock raids — complete with broken doors, shattered windows and forced entries — and circulating the footage to damage the Commission’s reputation and mislead the public into believing the EFCC was responsible.

The Commission urged Nigerians to exercise caution and resist attempts to judge it by the conduct of impostors, stressing that it operates strictly within standard procedures and has established channels for lodging complaints against any of its officers or operations.

“Well-meaning and reform-minded Nigerians should not allow their judgment of the works of the Commission to be negatively affected by the activities of these impersonators, blackmailers and fake characters,” the EFCC said.