August 14, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The management of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of launching a politically motivated attack on the institution and its founder, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during a midnight raid in the early hours of Saturday, August 10.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, OOPL Managing Director, Vitalis Ortese, described the 1 a.m. operation as “uncoordinated and reckless,” alleging that EFCC operatives fired shots indiscriminately within the premises, causing panic among guests and staff.
According to Ortese, the raid disrupted a private event being held at the facility, leading to the arrest of over 100 guests, many of whom sustained varying degrees of injuries. Several injured persons, he added, remain hospitalised.
“The actions of the EFCC that night were aggravated, unconstitutional, oppressive, capricious, arbitrary, and actuated by malice,” Ortese declared.
He further alleged that the EFCC violated its own November 2023 directive banning night sting operations, a policy that was widely publicised by the agency as part of reforms aimed at ensuring the safety and rights of citizens.
Ortese insisted that the EFCC’s conduct on August 10 amounted to an abuse of power and a direct attack on the reputation of the OOPL and its founder. He called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and human rights organisations to investigate the incident and hold the commission accountable.
While the EFCC has yet to issue an official response to the allegations, the raid has already stirred political debate, with supporters of the former president describing it as an intimidation tactic and critics questioning the timing and manner of the operation.
The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, commissioned in 2017, is a multi-purpose complex housing archives, a museum, event spaces, and research facilities dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nigeria’s former leader.
