Oba of Benin Accuses EFCC of Allegedly Accepting Bribes to Thwart Petition

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of taking bribes to thwart his petition against fraudulent palace personnel.

The allegations were made on Monday, May 20, during a meeting with the new Benin Zonal Director of EFCC, Effa Okim, at the royal palace in Benin City.

According to a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Osaigbovo Ighobaro, Oba Ewuare II cited a specific case involving unnamed former palace officials who were detained for alleged fraud and handed over to the EFCC in Benin for investigation and prosecution.

The monarch claimed that EFCC agents mishandled the case, resulting in the release of the perpetrators a few years ago despite clear evidence of wrongdoing.

“We want to draw your attention to one or two grey areas in your operations. No matter how much you try to support the EFCC from the palace, it is very difficult because they seem to listen to other parties. What I have been told is that they take instructions from the highest bidder,” the Oba stated.

Oba Ewuare II expressed his dissatisfaction with the EFCC’s previous handling of the case, particularly criticizing the performance of the EFCC agent involved.

“How can EFCC operatives, especially the lady who handled the case I cited earlier, behave like that? If I was asked to comment on her performance, I would score her zero. I do not know if she was doing an EFCC job or just dancing to the tunes of people who were giving her money,” he said.

The Oba emphasized that despite efforts to assist the EFCC, including writing a letter to the former chairman and sending an emissary, the response and actions from the commission were disappointing. “At the time we were trying to assist EFCC, the report we kept getting was negative, and I was not happy about it,” he added.

The allegations highlight ongoing concerns about the integrity and effectiveness of the EFCC in handling cases of fraud and corruption, especially those involving high-profile individuals and institutions.