The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday
sealed the multi-billion naira Enugu Mall occupied by SPAR, a
multinational retail outlet.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EFCC officers
stormed the building in the early hours of the day and dispersed
all the workers.
Mr Chris Oluka, the Head of Public Affairs of EFCC, confirmed
the incident, saying that the managers of the building flouted the
directive of EFCC on the construction of the building.
Oluka said that the officers from Abuja raided the mall and
dispersed workers who were recently recruited preparatory to
official opening of business on Friday.
“Yes, our men went there to disperse them because they flouted
our instructions.
“We had sealed the premises and wrote ‘under EFCC
investigation’, but they covered the write-up with paint,” he
said.
It would be recalled that the commission had earlier in the year
sealed the mall, located beside the Enugu State House of Assembly,
by writing the inscription ‘Under EFCC Investigation’.
However, construction work continued at the site.
Mr Johnson Babalola, the Zonal Head of Operations in EFCC South
East, had during an earlier interaction with newsmen, said it was
not against any known law for the owners to go ahead with
construction work.
Babalola said that since the property was not yet under
permanent forfeiture to the government, “construction work can
still go on while investigations continue”.
On the new development, Oluka, however, said that allowing the
business to operate in the building could jeopardise
investigations.
“I do not have much to say about this because the officers that
dispersed the workers this morning came from Abuja,” Oluka
said.
On the invitation of the managee of the mall to the zonal office
of the commission after the workers were dispersed, Oluka said it
should not be misconstrued as an arrest.
“They were invited to come and explain why they did what we told
them not to do,” Oluka said.
Some workers at the mall, however, expressed displeasure over
the incident, describing it as anti-labour.
Some of the newly recruited workers, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said they were worried because EFCC officials swooped on
the mall just two days to the official opening.
One of the workers said: “we are surprised this can happen at a
time the government is preaching job creation.
“Over 250 of us were employed by this company and we are not
certain what will happen next.
“We are appealing to the authorities concerned to look into it
urgently and save us from continued hardship.”
Efforts to reach the managers failed as they were all at the
EFCC office for interrogation as at the time of this report.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday
sealed the multi-billion naira Enugu Mall occupied by SPAR, a
multinational retail outlet.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EFCC officers
stormed the building in the early hours of the day and dispersed
all the workers.
Mr Chris Oluka, the Head of Public Affairs of EFCC, confirmed
the incident, saying that the managers of the building flouted the
directive of EFCC on the construction of the building.
Oluka said that the officers from Abuja raided the mall and
dispersed workers who were recently recruited preparatory to
official opening of business on Friday.
“Yes, our men went there to disperse them because they flouted
our instructions.
“We had sealed the premises and wrote ‘under EFCC
investigation’, but they covered the write-up with paint,” he
said.
It would be recalled that the commission had earlier in the year
sealed the mall, located beside the Enugu State House of Assembly,
by writing the inscription ‘Under EFCC Investigation’.
However, construction work continued at the site.
Mr Johnson Babalola, the Zonal Head of Operations in EFCC South
East, had during an earlier interaction with newsmen, said it was
not against any known law for the owners to go ahead with
construction work.
Babalola said that since the property was not yet under
permanent forfeiture to the government, “construction work can
still go on while investigations continue”.
On the new development, Oluka, however, said that allowing the
business to operate in the building could jeopardise
investigations.
“I do not have much to say about this because the officers that
dispersed the workers this morning came from Abuja,” Oluka
said.
On the invitation of the managee of the mall to the zonal office
of the commission after the workers were dispersed, Oluka said it
should not be misconstrued as an arrest.
“They were invited to come and explain why they did what we told
them not to do,” Oluka said.
Some workers at the mall, however, expressed displeasure over
the incident, describing it as anti-labour.
Some of the newly recruited workers, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said they were worried because EFCC officials swooped on
the mall just two days to the official opening.
One of the workers said: “we are surprised this can happen at a
time the government is preaching job creation.
“Over 250 of us were employed by this company and we are not
certain what will happen next.
“We are appealing to the authorities concerned to look into it
urgently and save us from continued hardship.”
Efforts to reach the managers failed as they were all at the
EFCC office for interrogation as at the time of this report.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/efcc-seals-multi-billion-naira-enugu-mall/