The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has provided clarification regarding the recent arrest of 21 trucks transporting various food items and goods to neighbouring countries.

Recall that the Maiduguri zonal command of the anti-graft agency intercepted the trucks transporting items to neighbouring countries like N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central African Republic, and Cameroon along Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama Roads in Borno State during a well-coordinated operation on Wednesday.

In a statement, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale who defended the agency’s action, highlighted the agency’s mission to combat economic and financial offences that pose a threat to the nation’s economy.

He stressed the importance of preventing acts of sabotage and addressing crimes that have a detrimental impact on the economic well-being of Nigeria.

Oyewale emphasized that the EFCC’s intervention in intercepting the trucks aligns with its mandate to combat economic and financial crimes.

However, he clarified that the arrest does not imply that EFCC operatives are stationed at the country’s border regions.

“Anything that has a negative bearing on the economy is an act of economic sabotage or serving as a leakage, distortion or disequilibrium in the economy, the Commission has a responsibility to tackle it and that is what the EFCC has done,” the EFCC spokesperson.

Continuing, the image maker explained that, “It is not that the Commission is throwing its nets towards the borders, an arrest can be made anywhere, and the smugglers were arrested at the exit routes leading to Cameroon and Chad as a result of the effectiveness of our surveillance.

“They could have also been arrested anywhere else but the most important thing is that they were arrested for allegedly smuggling food items that could be useful to Nigerians, which they were not allowed to take out of the country”.

He urged the public to commend and support the Commission for spreading its wings across the country: “The Commission is proactive, and it is everywhere to ensure that the economy is revamped so that Nigerians can get optimum value. So, I think Nigerians should applaud the Commission more for being so proactive enough to tackle such incidental crimes. We all need to join our hands together to ensure that this problem of economic sabotage is directly addressed.”