11th February, 2020
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has touted its detention facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as one of the best holding facilities in the country.
The anti-graft agency was reacting to a a trending tweet by @TheRealDayne showing pictures purported to be the agency’s holding cell in the city.
The Commission debunked the tweet and said it was a mischief by the author and a calculated attempt to smear its reputation.
“Contrary to the fake pictures circulated by @TheRealDayne, the facility in Port Harcourt Zonal Office, like all other EFCC cells, boasts of a high degree of decency and therefore, cannot be the open dumping facility, surrounded by razor-wired walls, depicted in the picture that was mischievously circulated”, EFCC spokesman Tony Orilade said.
“It is important to further clarify that EFCC detention centres are known for their remarkable care for detainees in line with our avowed respect for human right and dignity.
“The Commission can state without fear of contradiction that our Port Harcourt detention facility, like all others across the country, is further bolstered by a well-equipped medical centre that attends to the health needs of detainees, who are further fed three square meals daily from the same canteen that service officers and men of the Commission.
“Were it not so, suspects standing trial for corruption would not prefer to be remanded in the custody of the Commission to those of the nation’s Correctional Centres. It is on record that no detainee has challenged the Commission for rights violation in court.
“It is well understood that the intention of this misleading tweet is to embarrass the Commission, and this has left us with no other choice than to investigate the brains behind it and to consequently take any further needful action that may serve as deterrent to all other mischief-makers in this mould.
“The EFCC is a responsible law enforcement agency, locally and internationally acclaimed for its outstanding achievements in the fight against corruption in the country.
“The Commission welcomes criticisms, so long as they are meaningful and constructive, but frowns at premeditated attempts to drag its hard-earned reputation and image to the mud.
Below is the Holding facility at the Port Harcourt Zonal office”.
After the EFCC joined issues with @TheRealDayne’, the author backed a retreat and said: “Dear
@officialEFCC if you claim this is not your building, then kindly launch an investigation to ascertain which agency has that, so that the necessary actions can be taken to stop this violation of human rights. Rather that coming to investigate me, I only took a picture.
“Because the truth is whether it is your office or not, this act does not stand any where or in any form. This is pure violation of human rights. And must be stopped. Thanks”.
Earlier he had alleged that the EFCC keeps detainees in an open cell, unprotected from the weather, “under the rain and sun, Night and Day”. ”
“They do not have internal detention centre, where they can keep them when the weather is unfavourable”, @theRealDayne falsely claimed..