I Was Naked When EFCC Broke Into Our Apartment Like Thieves – Female Journalist

An Abia-based journalist, Norah Okafor, has narrated how operatives of the Economic Financial and Crimes (EFCC) allegedly invaded her apartment and those of her neighbours.

Okafor took to her Facebook page on Thursday to bemoan the manner in which the operatives allegedly broke into her compound “at exactly 1:36am” with two Hilux vehicles, masked and dressed in black.

Allegedly numbering over 25, Okafor said one of the armed men “climbed the fence with a plier and immediately cut off a few of the wires; jumped into the compound and with an axe, broke the gate open” and invaded her apartment.

“As a nude sleeper, while they tried to make their way into the compound, I found something to wear while my brothers and I were thinking of a way of escape. The worst-case scenario for me is that they will rape or take the only valuable available (a car key) so I prepared my mind.

She disclosed that seven men subsequently made their way to her room, demanded for her phones, car keys and laptop including that of her brother. She alleged that they also asked for the password to these gadgets.

Her story partly read, “I turned to be sure these were armed robbers, and they asked for my passwords to all the devices collected with masking tape to identify each.

“Still in shock, I heard someone destroying everything in the kitchen, my room, that of my brothers and all the drawers. I was still asking myself what’s happening?

“They asked me to stand and follow them downstairs, lo and beyond, they unmasked themselves, hmmmm..are these kind criminals? (sic) I asked. All my neighbours were already going through the same pain as I.

“They have already given my brothers a beating of their lives, carried my neighbour downstairs and tried unlocking all the cars in the compound. And after searching all the phones and laptops, three of their men walked in, lo and behold, it was EFCC. What? I screamed.

“Shut up, was the next thing I heard and when they couldn’t open my phone, they asked me to, I did and after a while I just asked, please where is your office so I can come pick up my things on my way to work, they asked me what I do and I said “journalist”, asked my neighbour he said “lawyer”, the other “doctor”.

“They looked at me, handed over the phones and said “we just wasted our time”.

“These fools, spent over one-hour molesting and destroying things in this compound. I feel so pained and embarrassed right now.

“Is this how EFCC operates? How did we get here? Who is the informant?  I am just confused right now. Thank God my mum isn’t here…”.

When THE WHISTLER reached out to Okafor, she said that she had not left her house since the incident becuase she was “traumatized”.

This newspaper also contacted the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, to confirm the incident, but he replied via a text message saying, “Thanks. Will revert soon”.

As of the time of filing this report, Uwujaren has yet to revert as promised.

Recall that a similar incident occurred earlier in August when former Big Brother Naija housemate, Dorathy Bachor, accused operatives of the antigraft agency of breaking into her apartment without a search warrant.

The commission had said in defence that it received “verified intelligence” on activities of alleged internet fraudsters who share the same block of flats with the former reality TV star, hence the invasion of the building.