By Afolabi Aribigbola

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The information emanating from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) is that a group is planning and organizing protests against their operations. It is not only worrisome but also degrading and retrogressive in all respect. The Commission went further to reveal that a former governor and two former ministers were behind the plot by sponsoring a series of protests against it.

One will recollect that Nigeria as a nation has become a notorious and laughing one among the comity of nations just because of the activities of a few disgruntled greedy elements seeking to make money locally and internationally. Prior to the release of this information from the EFCC, some individuals have unashamedly gathered themselves to protest against the Commission for doing what most reasonable Nigerians have been calling on them to do for quite some time and now that the Commission seem to be alive to its responsibility of ridding the Nigerian society of the few bad eggs destroying and damaging the name of the country, one is taken aback and begin to discern why will some be planning to protest against the commission.

Indeed, EFCC was established in the year 2006 to fight the escalating and degrading nefarious activities of economic and financial criminals in the country. Financial and economic crimes were so widespread that it required pragmatic action and organization to stem the dangerous tide. However, for quite some times, the agency have been criticised for being ineffective while some strand of criticisms accused the agency of being selective in dealing with criminals in the country. Thus, in recent months, beside their clampdown on politicians for mismanaging public funds in their care, the EFCC beamed their searchlight on cybercriminals that are widespread in the country, tirelessly fighting to secure the future and reputation of Nigeria EFCC had maintained that Nigeria’s future will be imperiled if the country further degenerates in its global perception as a den of fraudsters.

In the last couple of days, the group has been actively campaigning on the social media, recruiting impressionable young Nigerians, including students to take up “arms” against the EFCC. This insidious campaign is being promoted as resistance to the operational activities of the Commission especially in respect of the enforcement of the laws dealing with cybercrimes.

Information from the EFCC indicated that some individuals including those that have one case or the other with the organisation are organising and mobilising some innocent but disgruntled Nigerians to protest against the renewed efforts of the organisation to rid the society of economic and financial crimes and criminals. Indeed since this embarrassing retrogressive and disgraceful news filtered in, I have been musing on how the country degenerated to a level in which criminals are dictating the pace and direction of activities. What are the consequences of the obnoxious development and how can the society exterminate the cankerworm that have put the country and her people into disrepute among global citizens.

From the above, it is evident that Nigerians must support, by all means the current clamdown on economic and financial crimes in the country. In the first instance, the recent ratings of the country improved from 150 positions in 2022 to 150 among 180 countries in 2023. This is not to suggest that EFCC was single handedly responsible for this development but the point is that they have put in more efforts in the fight against economic and financial crimes requires the support of all honest and forthright Nigerians. Moreover, we cannot afford to permit corruption to continue to thrive in the country because of its potency to retard the progress and possible destroy the nation.