EFCC Seals Multi-Billion Naira Enugu Mall

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday reportedly sealed the multi-billion naira Enugu Mall occupied by SPAR.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EFCC officers stormed the building in the early hours of the day, asking all the workers to vacate.

The Head of Public Affairs of EFCC, Chris Oluka confirmed the incident, saying that the managers of the building flouted the directive of EFCC on the construction of the building.

Oluka said that the officers from Abuja raided the mall and dispersed workers who were recently recruited preparatory to the official opening of business on Friday.

“Yes, our men went there to disperse them because they flouted our instructions.

“We had sealed the premises and wrote ‘under EFCC investigation’, but they covered the write-up with paint,” he said.

It would be recalled that the commission had earlier in the year sealed the mall, located beside the Enugu State House of Assembly, by writing the inscription ‘Under EFCC Investigation’.

However, construction work continued at the site.

The Zonal Head of Operations in EFCC South East, Johnson Babalola had during an earlier interaction with newsmen, said it was not against any known law for the owners to go ahead with construction work.

Babalola said that since the property was not yet under permanent forfeiture to the government, “construction work can still go on while investigations continue”.

On the new development, Oluka, however, said that allowing the business to operate in the building could jeopardise investigations.

“I do not have much to say about this because the officers that dispersed the workers this morning came from Abuja,” Oluka said.

On the invitation of the manager of the mall to the zonal office of the commission after the workers were dispersed, Oluka said it should not be misconstrued as an arrest.

“They were invited to come and explain why they did what we told them not to do,” Oluka said.