In the early hours of Saturday, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out a sting operation near the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), leading to the arrest of 13 students suspected of internet fraud. The operation took place in the Kwakwalawa and Gidan Yaro areas, which are close to the university campus.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with some students initially mistaking the EFCC officials for kidnappers due to the nature of the early morning operation. “It was like a scene from a movie,” one student, Abdul, remarked, adding that the EFCC operatives did not provide warrants or explanations during the arrests.
A senior university staff member confirmed that about 40 students were initially taken into custody, but 30 were released after initial investigations, leaving 10 still in EFCC custody.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale clarified that the arrests were part of a sting operation, not a raid, and that only 13 students were apprehended. “Sting operations are a globally accepted way of conducting arrests, and the arrests were made outside the university campus,” he explained. The students are suspected of engaging in internet fraud.
Efforts to reach the university’s Public Relations Officer, Ismaila Muhammad, for further comments were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
