Invasion Of House Of Fmr BBNaija Housemate — Adegboruwa (SAN) Advices EFCC Against Employing Gestapo-style Tactics

*Says EFCC Is Beginning To Act Like The SSS
*Condemns Invasion Of Dorathy’s House by EFCC At 5am
*Says Every Citizen Is Entitled To Right To Privacy
*Says Gestapo Mode Of Operation Is Alien To Democratic
Setting

A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has advised the Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, to call
the operatives of the Commission to order.

The armed EFCC officials had on Monday, August 23, 2021 invaded
the Lekki residence of Big Brother Naija Lockdown housemate,
Dorathy Bachor.

The former housemate in the 2020 edition of BBNaija television
reality show had taken to her Instastory on Monday, to reveal that
EFCC operatives broke into her Lekki residence in Lagos around 5am
looking for a suspected internet fraudster.

The EFCC later confirmed the invasion in a statement on Monday.
Though the EFCC claimed nine suspected internet fraudsters were
arrested in the building housing Dorathy’s flat, no suspect was
specifically arrested in the BBN star’s apartment. The agency did
not also release the details of the suspects arrested in the other
flats in the building.

Hours later, EFCC officials returned to whisk Dorathy away for
interrogation. Dorathy’s sister, Cynthia Bachor later confirmed
that the BBN star was subsequently released.

Adegboruwa, who is a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of
Inquiry probing alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers
at the Lekki toll gate, told the PUNCH Newspaper that the
anti-graft agency was beginning to act like the Department of State
Services, while trampling upon the fundamental rights of
citizens.

He urged Dorathy to approach the court to seek redress.
According to him, every citizen is entitled to right to privacy of
his home and correspondences.

“It is the same reaction that Nigerians gave in respect of the
DSS invasion of the home of Chief Sunday Adeyemo. In light of the
insecurity pervading the country, the DSS should not continue to
issue search warrants and invade people’s homes in the dead of the
night because armed robbers can take advantage of this to harm
citizens.

“Under the constitution, citizens’ privacy, their homes, phones
and others are guaranteed and the EFCC should not be trampling on
people’s fundamental human rights.” Adegboruwa said

The Learned Silk further said that there is no reason for EFCC
to have displayed gangsterism as arrest of internet fraudsters
could also be done during the day. He warned against unleashing
horror on citizens in attempting to justify performance. He also
called on Bawa to stop EFCC operatives from employing the gestapo
mode of operation since we are in a democratic setting.

He said, “There is nothing so sacrosanct about the arrest of
internet fraudsters that cannot happen during the day. No
circumstance warrants the display of gangsterism by the EFCC.

“In the case of the lady (Dorathy) whose house was invaded, it
later turned out that she was not the one they were looking for. It
also later almost turned out that her mother almost had a cardiac
arrest. I don’t think we should unleash horror on our citizens in
an attempt to justify performance.

“The chairman of the EFCC is somebody we respect so much and I
least expect this from him at all. It is being recurring since he
came into office. He should rein in and stop this; we cannot have
this in a democratic government.”

*Says EFCC Is Beginning To Act Like The SSS
*Condemns Invasion Of Dorathy’s House by EFCC At 5am
*Says Every Citizen Is Entitled To Right To Privacy
*Says Gestapo Mode Of Operation Is Alien To Democratic
Setting

A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has advised the Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, to call
the operatives of the Commission to order.

The armed EFCC officials had on Monday, August 23, 2021 invaded
the Lekki residence of Big Brother Naija Lockdown housemate,
Dorathy Bachor.

The former housemate in the 2020 edition of BBNaija television
reality show had taken to her Instastory on Monday, to reveal that
EFCC operatives broke into her Lekki residence in Lagos around 5am
looking for a suspected internet fraudster.

The EFCC later confirmed the invasion in a statement on Monday.
Though the EFCC claimed nine suspected internet fraudsters were
arrested in the building housing Dorathy’s flat, no suspect was
specifically arrested in the BBN star’s apartment. The agency did
not also release the details of the suspects arrested in the other
flats in the building.

Hours later, EFCC officials returned to whisk Dorathy away for
interrogation. Dorathy’s sister, Cynthia Bachor later confirmed
that the BBN star was subsequently released.

Adegboruwa, who is a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of
Inquiry probing alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers
at the Lekki toll gate, told the PUNCH Newspaper that the
anti-graft agency was beginning to act like the Department of State
Services, while trampling upon the fundamental rights of
citizens.

He urged Dorathy to approach the court to seek redress.
According to him, every citizen is entitled to right to privacy of
his home and correspondences.

“It is the same reaction that Nigerians gave in respect of the
DSS invasion of the home of Chief Sunday Adeyemo. In light of the
insecurity pervading the country, the DSS should not continue to
issue search warrants and invade people’s homes in the dead of the
night because armed robbers can take advantage of this to harm
citizens.

“Under the constitution, citizens’ privacy, their homes, phones
and others are guaranteed and the EFCC should not be trampling on
people’s fundamental human rights.” Adegboruwa said

The Learned Silk further said that there is no reason for EFCC
to have displayed gangsterism as arrest of internet fraudsters
could also be done during the day. He warned against unleashing
horror on citizens in attempting to justify performance. He also
called on Bawa to stop EFCC operatives from employing the gestapo
mode of operation since we are in a democratic setting.

He said, “There is nothing so sacrosanct about the arrest of
internet fraudsters that cannot happen during the day. No
circumstance warrants the display of gangsterism by the EFCC.

“In the case of the lady (Dorathy) whose house was invaded, it
later turned out that she was not the one they were looking for. It
also later almost turned out that her mother almost had a cardiac
arrest. I don’t think we should unleash horror on our citizens in
an attempt to justify performance.

“The chairman of the EFCC is somebody we respect so much and I
least expect this from him at all. It is being recurring since he
came into office. He should rein in and stop this; we cannot have
this in a democratic government.”