The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released seven military personnel, including one from the Army and six from the Nigerian Air Force, who were initially arrested for alleged internet-related fraud.
The Kaduna Zonal office of the anti-graft agency had detained them for further investigation and possible prosecution.
However, on Friday morning, armed soldiers from the Nigerian Air Force stormed the EFCC office in Kaduna, demanding the release of their colleagues.
The soldiers arrived in five Hilux patrol vans, surrounded the main gate, and engaged in a standoff with EFCC security operatives.
The situation led to a showdown between the Air Force personnel and EFCC security operatives, who engaged themselves in a shouting match and threatened to pull the trigger against each other.
After nerves were calmed, the EFCC Zonal Head and the leader of the Air Force team, met briefly after which the suspects were released.
Reacting to the incident, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale told Channels Television in a phone call that the Commission released the suspects upon completion of an investigation and forensic profiling.
“The EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation and flagrant abuse of power. The Commission continued to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Air Force and released the officers to the NAF Provost after they had been duly profiled,” Oyewale said in another statement late Friday.
He explained that the release and handing over of the suspects to their agency was done in line with the commission’s operating procedure, adding that the suspects would still be arraigned in court at the appropriate time despite being released to their agency.
