After THE WHISTLER Report, EFCC Detains Staff On Suspicion Of Divulging Official Information

The family of one Amos Atsachaya, a casual employee of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has claimed that operatives of the anti-graft agency arrested and detained him since 24th January 2023 without allowing anyone access to him.

A member of his family who spoke to THE WHISTLER on condition of anonymity said he was arrested in connection to a story on how the agency treats its casual staff published by this newspaper on 17th January 2023.

In the report titled “Slave Wage: EFCC Employs Nurses, Others Casual Workers, Pays N20 Monthly Salary”, some casual staff of the Commission who spoke to THE WHISTLER revealed how they were poorly remunerated for the work they do, and how the agency had refused to listen to their complaints.

He may have been arrested because of some internal administrative memos published in the report.

Atsachaya is one of the casual workers of the Commission at the Benin Zonal Command but was allegedly lured to Abuja where he was arrested.

The family member said, “He was asked by someone at the headquarters to bring something to Abuja where they arrested and put him in detention.

“He has spent 10 days in detention now and they have not told anyone in his family or his lawyer why they arrested him or what they are detaining him for.

“But sources at the EFCC told us it was in connection with the story published by your paper. But we’re worried because his name was not even mentioned in the report.”

One of Atsachaya’s colleagues who spoke to THE WHISTLER on record in the report, Kenneth Ekiye, also said he had been unable to reach him on the phone for more than one week.

“I’ve been trying his line but it’s not going through, so I also suspect something is wrong,” said Ekiye, who sounded worried.

Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson of the Commission, could not be reached when THE WHISTLER called his phone. He also did not reply to SMS and WhatsApp messages sent to him on the issue.