EFCC explains operatives’ visit to Uyo teaching hospital

Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has clarified that the visit of its operatives to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday was to authenticate a medical report presented by a suspect standing trial.

The commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

Oyewale said the suspect was remanded by Justice M.A. Onyetunu of the Federal High Court, Uyo, over alleged fraud involving multiple microfinance banks, including the University of Uyo Microfinance Bank.

According to him, the suspect had presented a medical report which required verification by the management of the teaching hospital.

He explained that the EFCC had earlier written two letters to the hospital management on March 11 and April 20 requesting authentication of the medical report but received no response.

“The investigating officer handling the matter took a further step of visiting the hospital to enquire about the status of the request. Still, no response,” he said.

Oyewale stated that EFCC operatives later visited the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital on Tuesday for further enquiries but were allegedly attacked and locked inside the facility by some staff members.

“As a last resort, operatives of the commission visited the Chief Medical Director of the hospital on Tuesday to make further enquiries, only to be locked in with a false alarm and subjected to unprovoked attack by misguided staff of the facility who pelted them with stones and other dangerous objects,” he said.

The spokesman, however, said there was no breakdown of law and order during the incident, adding that the operatives exercised restraint and left the premises without disrupting hospital activities.

He further alleged that while the operatives were inside the hospital, the CMD directed that the hospital gates be shut, making lawful enquiries difficult.

According to him, police authorities in Akwa Ibom later advised the hospital management to reopen the gates to allow the operatives leave peacefully, but the request was allegedly ignored.

Oyewale stressed that enquiries relating to EFCC operations were lawful and urged individuals and organisations to cooperate with the commission during investigations.

“Contrary action could be deemed as obstruction, which is criminal with attendant legal consequences,” he added.