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EFCC Denies Targeting Obasanjo Library, Arraigns 23 Fraud Suspects.
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93 suspects arrested at hotel within library’s precincts.
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23 suspects face arraignment today, others to follow
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has denied targeting the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in its recent sting operation that led to the arrest of 93 suspected internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the library’s management had, on Wednesday, described the night raid on its guest house as a calculated attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a violation of guests’ rights. It demanded N3.5bn in compensation and a public apology within seven days or it would take legal action.
In a statement on Thursday, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, clarified that the arrests occurred at a hotel within the OOPL precincts, not the library itself. He explained that the suspects had organised a pool party to celebrate alleged illicit activities. According to Oyewale, the party was initially planned for two other locations but was moved to the hotel in an attempt to evade detection.
He revealed that profiling of the suspects showed that almost all were implicated in offences such as impersonation, identity theft, and internet fraud. EFCC said it had intelligence about the gathering, and the suspects relocated to the OOPL area expecting protection from arrest.
Oyewale stressed that the facility was not the target of the commission’s operation, adding that 23 of the suspects would be arraigned today, Friday, August 15, 2025, before Justice D. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. The arraignment will be conducted in batches, with the remaining suspects to be charged subsequently.
The EFCC maintained its commitment to pursuing cases of cybercrime and called on the public to disregard claims that its action was politically motivated or directed at the former president’s facility.
