Nigeria: EFCC Arrests Advert Executive Over Controversial Campaign Ads

23 May 2022
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Kunle Sanni

The commission said the adverts bore offensive messages using the name of the EFCC to threaten the aspiration of some politicians in the state in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested an outdoor advertisement executive, Baron Nnamdi, over political advertisements bearing the name and logo of the commission.

According to a statement by EFCC's spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Sunday, the said adverts are in two billboards located at Otigba and Zik Avenue Junctions in Enugu.

The commission said the adverts bore offensive messages using the name of the EFCC to threaten the aspiration of some politicians in the state in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

One of the messages is quoted as reading, '2023: Enugu PDP Learn From 2007 Election... EFCC Is Coming With Koboko On Corrupt Candidates'.

The EFCC said the arrest and detention followed credible intelligence it received. It said officers of its Enugu zonal command on Saturday arrested Mr Nnamdi, said to be "the alleged designer, printer and owner of the billboards hosting the offensive political campaign messages."

He claimed he was paid N160,000 for the one-week campaign and that the former deputy governor's media aide provided him with the messages, EFCC emblem, and images of operatives.

Following his detention, EFCC operatives went to the two sites and removed the inflammatory adverts.

According to the EFCC statement, the suspect has given the commission a statement in which he claims he was hired by a media adviser to a former state deputy governor with governorship ambitions.

Meanwhile, the commission has issued warnings to politicians to play by the rules and refrain from dragging the EFCC into the political fray.

It added that, apart from issues of economic and financial crimes which fall within its purview, the commission has no role in the political process and should not be distracted.

It stated further, that it will not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law to bear on errant politicians who continue to impersonate the commission and its operatives.

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