By Ayorinde Oluokun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has reacted to controversies which followed the visit of its operatives to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday.
Some reports had indicated that the EFCC operatives disrupted and attempted to arrest and molested the Chief Medical Director of the facility during the visit.
However, in a statement, the spokesperson of EFCC, Dele Oyewale said operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency went to UUTH, in Uyo to authenticate a medical report presented by a suspect under remand by Justice M.A Onyetunu of the Federal High Court, Uyo.
According to him, the suspect, who was being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding multiple micro finance banks, including University of Uyo Micro Finance Bank had presented a medical report which required authentication by the UUTH management.
He said the EFCC operatives decided to visit the hospital following its failure to reply two different letters dated March 11, 2026 and April 20, 2026 it wrote to its management for authentication of the documents without receiving any response.
He added that the Investigating Officer handling the matter also visited the hospital to enquire about the status of the request but got no response.
Oyewale said operatives of the Commission then decided to visit the CMD, but the visit went awry as they were locked in the premises of the hospital, while the workers raise what he described as false alarm and pelted them with stones and other objects.
“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,”
The EFCC in the statement accused the CMD of directing that gates of the facility be shut against its operatives, thus making it impossible for any lawful enquiry to be made.
The Commission also said the CMD rejected appeal by police to open the hospital gates to enable the operatives exit the premises peacefully.
It however said that in spite of the hostility and provocation, there was no breakdown of law and order, noting that “the operatives exercised restraint and professionally made their ways out of the hospital premises without disrupting its activities”
“Enquiries bordering on operational engagements of the Commission are lawful. It is therefore necessary to remind the public and corporate bodies that they are obligated to cooperate with the agency in such circumstances. Contrary action could be deemed as obstruction, which is criminal with attendant legal consequences,” the statement concluded.
