JUST IN: Top EFCC investigator shot

A top investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on June 24, 2017 escaped death by the whiskers
when gunmen opened fire on him in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Austin Okwor, an operative in the Property Fraud Section of the
EFCC Zonal office in Port Harcourt, had closed late for the day and
as he left office, he was suddenly accosted by a gang of daredevil
hoodlums who opened fire on him.

Luckily for him, he was able to shake off his assailants but not
without sustaining some bullet wounds as they kept firing at him.
He was rushed to a private hospital in Port Harcourt where he is
receiving treatment.

According to Ishaq Salihu, Head of the Zonal office, the
incident has already been reported to the Police in Port
Harcourt.

Mr. Okwor is one of the operatives investigating some sensitive
cases including that pertaining to corrupt judicial officials.

Before the incident, the officer had been receiving threat
messages. One of such messages which he received sometime in May
2017 was reported to the police.

This incident underlines the hazards which operatives of the
commission are daily exposed to in the discharge of their
duties.

In 2010, precisely September 14, the head of the Commission’s
Forensic Unit, Abdullahi Muazu, was shot and killed by unknown
gunmen in Kaduna.

Six months earlier a team of prosecutors returning to Enugu
after a court appearance in Owerri, Imo state was attacked by
gunmen who opened fire on them. Eze Edoga, the police escort was
cut down while a senior counsel with the commission, Joseph Uzor,
was critically wounded but survived.

A top investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on June 24, 2017 escaped death by the whiskers
when gunmen opened fire on him in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State.

Austin Okwor, an operative in the Property Fraud Section of the
EFCC Zonal office in Port Harcourt, had closed late for the day and
as he left office, he was suddenly accosted by a gang of daredevil
hoodlums who opened fire on him.

Luckily for him, he was able to shake off his assailants but not
without sustaining some bullet wounds as they kept firing at him.
He was rushed to a private hospital in Port Harcourt where he is
receiving treatment.

According to Ishaq Salihu, Head of the Zonal office, the
incident has already been reported to the Police in Port
Harcourt.

Mr. Okwor is one of the operatives investigating some sensitive
cases including that pertaining to corrupt judicial officials.

Before the incident, the officer had been receiving threat
messages. One of such messages which he received sometime in May
2017 was reported to the police.

This incident underlines the hazards which operatives of the
commission are daily exposed to in the discharge of their
duties.

In 2010, precisely September 14, the head of the Commission’s
Forensic Unit, Abdullahi Muazu, was shot and killed by unknown
gunmen in Kaduna.

Six months earlier a team of prosecutors returning to Enugu
after a court appearance in Owerri, Imo state was attacked by
gunmen who opened fire on them. Eze Edoga, the police escort was
cut down while a senior counsel with the commission, Joseph Uzor,
was critically wounded but survived.