The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibarhim Magu, has ordered an investigation into the alleged harassment, illegal confiscation of property, unlawful detention and extortion of a South Africa-based pastor, ObinnaIkenna Ezenwanne, and his family by two officials of the anti-graft agency.
The Point gathered that Magu had already asked EFCC detectives to look into the involvement of two officials of the agency’s Procurement Fraud Section in its Ikoyi, Lagos office, concerning the alleged ill-treatment and extortion of Pastor Ezenwanne and his brother by some operatives.
It was learnt that Magu’s directive that an investigation be launched into the alleged involvement of the two EFCC officials and their friends in the matter followed a petition submitted to the office of the antigraft agency’s boss in Abuja by a group, Paths of Peace Initiatives, over the alleged maltreatment of the South Africa-based pastor and members of his family in Nigeria over the purchase of a N12 million Land Rover sports utility vehicle from a dealer in Lagos.
A copy of the petition signed by one John Thompson and entitled, “Re: Petition Against Unlawful Harassment, Detention and Flagrant Abuse of Office by EFCC Officials,” was obtained by The Point on Wednesday.
The two-page petition, addressed to the EFCC chairman, reads in part, “We, the members of Paths of Peace Initiatives, incorporated to defend the rights of the less privileged and campaign for good governance, wish to bring to your notice, for urgent action, the gross abuse of power, intimidation, unlawful harassment, arrest, detention and illegal confistication of vehicle and other properties belonging to one Mr. Obinna Ikenna Ezenwanne, by the Procurement Fraud Section of EFCC, Ikoyi Lagos office.
“We understand that EFCC officials stormed the Enugu home of Mr. Obin- n a Ikenna Ezenwanne, a pastor, who is resident in South Africa at an unholy hour with men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police, shouting at random and harassing anybody on sight for hours, before arresting Mr. ThankGod Afamefuna, a brother to Mr Ezenwanne and impounded a black Range Rover (Sports Utility Vehicle), which is still in possession of the EFCC in Lagos.
“Mr. ThankGod, who was severely beaten after his arrest in Onisha, Anambra State, for committing no single offence, was in- EFCC custody for several days with excruciating experience.
“Sir, it is important to let you know the facts of the matter. Sometime in August, 2014, Pastor Obinna, who was visiting Nigeria for a pastoral assignment, approached his regular auto dealer, SOJ Autos, with office at No: 39 Marina road, First Badagry bus stop, Liverpool, Apapa, Lagos, for the purchase of a Land Rover Range Rover at the rate of twelve million naira, (N12, 000,000.00) and all the necessary receipts and particulars were issued.
“However, when Mr. Soji, the Managing Director of SOJ Autos, brought the Land Rover Jeep to the Lagos Airport for inspection, Pastor Obinna on his arrival discovered that the vehicle had a warning light, which could mean that the vehicle was having some mechanical faults.”
