The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), alongside the family, friends, and legal representatives of Mr. Audu Friday, an Abuja-based engineer and businessman, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of spreading false information, violating due process, and using tactics aimed at prejudicing his ongoing trial.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, lead counsel Barrister Usman Salifu-Oguche described the EFCC’s recent public statements as “deliberate misinformation” and “a campaign of calumny” intended to mislead the public and distort judicial proceedings.
Salifu-Oguche specifically rejected the EFCC’s claim that Mr. Friday was arrested on December 10, 2024, in Lagos during its “Eagle Flush Operation,” calling the claim a complete fabrication.
“Mr. Friday has never been arrested by the EFCC or any other law enforcement agency, whether on December 10 or any other date,” Salifu-Oguche said. “In truth, he only became aware of the operation a month later—on January 9, 2025—after receiving two unverified calls from individuals claiming to be EFCC operatives.”
According to the legal team, the first call, made on December 17, 2024, came from someone identifying himself as “Nnamdi,” while the second, on December 22, came from “Usman.” Neither caller was confirmed to be an authorised EFCC official.
The legal team also condemned the EFCC’s use of Mr. Friday’s mugshot, describing it as a deliberate act of public shaming.
“Despite voluntarily appearing before the EFCC, Mr. Friday was compelled to pose for a mugshot behind a placard displaying criminal charges,” said Salifu-Oguche. “This image has been widely circulated to paint him as guilty even before the court has had its say.”
He alleged that this is part of a wider EFCC strategy to manipulate public opinion through media trials, rather than relying on verifiable evidence.
“They have labelled him the ‘kingpin’ of a syndicate involving 792 persons—people he has never met nor interacted with. We challenge the EFCC to produce even a single individual from the list who can demonstrate any connection to Mr. Friday,” he said.
The group accused the EFCC of fabricating claims to justify what they described as a “baseless prosecution.”
“One lie begets another. That’s what we’re seeing here—an institutional pattern of falsehood designed to prop up a case that lacks merit,” Salifu-Oguche stated.
Although confident in their client’s innocence, the legal team said they would refrain from disclosing further details, citing the sub judice nature of the case currently before two high courts.
“We will not argue this matter in the media. We believe in the courts and the rule of law. But we will not allow the EFCC’s misrepresentations to go unchallenged,” the lawyer added.
In a separate statement, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned what it called “gross abuse of prosecutorial powers” by the EFCC.
“The continued persecution, unlawful detention, and defamation of Citizen Audu Friday is an affront to his fundamental human rights,” the statement read. “Accusing someone of masterminding a 792-person scam without a shred of verifiable evidence is not only defamatory—it borders on criminal negligence.”
HURIWA also cited disturbing allegations of physical assault, re-arrest despite bail, and the filing of duplicate charges as indicators of what it termed “state-sponsored harassment and malicious prosecution.”
The group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the EFCC’s handling of the case and urged the judiciary to uphold fairness and independence.
“Mr. Audu, like every Nigerian, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The EFCC must cease its media trial tactics and return to the courtroom where it must prove its case—not posture on social media,” the group declared.
HURIWA pledged to continue monitoring the case closely, affirming its dedication to defending civil liberties and ensuring that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
