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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of 14 undergraduates of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, alongside 19 others, for suspected involvement in internet crimes. The arrests were made by EFCC operatives from the Benin Zonal Command in the early hours of Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
According to a statement released by the EFCC, the arrests were conducted following intelligence on the alleged nefarious activities of the suspects. The operation was prompted by calls from concerned parents and neighbors, who sought the EFCC’s intervention to prevent their children from being lured into internet-related crimes.
The statement further revealed that the arrests were made at different residential locations within the Akure metropolis. Items recovered during the operation include 10 exotic cars, phones, laptops, and one motorbike. The suspects will be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
However, the EFCC’s statement did not address the controversy surrounding the raid’s timing. Despite EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede’s directive in November 2023 to halt nighttime sting operations, the raid on the FUTA students took place in the early hours of the morning. This has raised concerns, especially in light of previous incidents, such as the arrest of around 70 students at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, during a midnight raid in November 2023.
