by Alexander O. Onukwue

The EFCC office located in Wuse was attacked in the early hours of Wednesday, 16th August 2017.

News reports have it that the office of the anti-graft agency was besieged by armed gunmen who left bullet holes in some of the properties within the compound.

They were repelled from causing too much damage by the security guards of the agency, but they left a note threatening the life of one of the agency’s top investigators.

No persons have claimed responsibility for the attacks which would be expected given that the agency affected is not one that should necessarily interest terrorists.

What can be assumed is that this was a show of force by whoever was responsible. Storming the anti-financial crimes body with arms, not for robbery, but to leave the air around there with the smell of gun smoke was a pre-meditated plan to let the officers of the agency that they should look over their shoulders and sleep with one eye open.

It is to be cheered that no lives were lost in the shootout but at least one life was threatened directly, and with that all others in that building are indirectly under surveillance by the unknown wolf.

The intention of these shooting is, perhaps, to create ripples in the waters of the officers and men of the Commission so that they will know that their work will have consequences.

Perhaps the officers already knew this by default but whoever was behind the attacks wished to present a material preview of the things that could happen.

Every well meaning person has condemned the attacks with the strongest possible terms, attacks that present the strongest indication yet that the war against corruption will not be one-sided. If these shootings are related to any of the cases the EFCC is prosecuting at the moment, those involved are clearly passing the message that a war is an engagement in which both sides attack.

And these persons are going to do theirs in the literal sense? Why not?

Editor