The management of Green Legacy Hotel, part of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), has vowed to take legal steps against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after operatives allegedly stormed the hotel in the early hours of Sunday.
In a statement issued by the hotel’s Managing Director, Vitalis Ortese, the management claimed that around 2 a.m., about 50 armed EFCC operatives arrived in what was described as a “Gestapo-style” operation, firing shots and making threats to kill attendees at a private event taking place on the premises.
According to Ortese, the event had been “widely advertised to members of the public for days” and was fully authorised by the hotel. He further alleged that no prior notice of the operation was given to either the organisers or the hotel’s management.
The statement added that police officers stationed at the OOPL gates, as well as additional personnel dispatched from Kemta Police Station at the request of the organisers and hotel management, confirmed they had not been briefed on any EFCC operation. Ortese also claimed the operatives did not present any search or arrest warrant.
The hotel management condemned the incident, describing it as an invasion of private property, an infringement of the rights of OOPL as a corporate entity, and a violation of the rights of those present at the event.
“The management demands an explanation of these impudent actions from the commission and an apology from the EFCC authorities for the infringement of its rights, to all those who gathered, and those who sustained serious injuries from the gangster-like induced chaos,” the statement read. It warned that failure to address the grievances would leave the management with no choice but to pursue legal redress.
What You Should Know
Green Legacy Hotel, affiliated with the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, is accusing the EFCC of conducting an unannounced midnight raid without a warrant, during which shots were allegedly fired and guests threatened.
The management says it will seek an explanation, an apology, and possibly compensation, failing which it will take the matter to court.
