By: Sunday Ameh
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the tragic death of a Lagos resident, Endurance Udeke, accusing the agency of losing its moral direction and straying from its original mandate to fight corruption.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Sowore described the EFCC as an institution that has “lost its way, its fangs, and its moral compass,” adding that the agency has become a tool of oppression rather than a vehicle for accountability.
The activist titled his post “EFCC and How the Tragedy of a Lost Mandate Led Citizen Endurance Udeke to Jump to His Death at Lekki Peninsula in Lagos.”
According to Sowore, the EFCC’s attempt to justify its operation in the area where the incident occurred only exposes the agency’s disregard for human rights.
“The EFCC has issued a statement claiming it ‘felt obliged to clear the air’ on the circumstances leading to the tragic death of Citizen Endurance Udeke, a resident of Periwinkle Estate, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
But this tragedy is not just about one boy’s death; it is about an institution that has lost its way, its fangs, and its moral compass,” Sowore wrote.
He further lamented that the commission, once established to confront corruption and prosecute politically exposed individuals, has now turned its focus on young Nigerians accused of internet-related crimes.
“Instead of pursuing the real criminals — the politically exposed looters and architects of grand corruption — the EFCC now preys on easy targets: the so-called Yahoo Boys, whose alleged crimes pale in comparison to the billions stolen by those in power,” he said.
Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, linked Udeke’s death to what he described as the EFCC’s “institutional decay and loss of purpose,” recalling a similar incident in Enugu State, where an EFCC raid led to the death of an officer, and the matter was quickly forgotten.
“The EFCC must be reminded that fighting corruption does not mean killing citizens. The agency must cleanse itself of rot, rediscover its purpose, and begin to hold actual economic criminals accountable,” he added.
He called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances leading to Udeke’s death and urged the government to ensure justice for the deceased’s family.
Meanwhile, the EFCC had earlier issued a statement claiming that its operatives were on a lawful operation in the Lekki area before the tragedy occurred.
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