ABEOKUTA, Nigeria — The management of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) has demanded ₦3.5 billion in compensation and a public apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following what it described as an “unlawful invasion” of its premises on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
The EFCC had said its operatives raided a hotel in Abeokuta and arrested 93 suspected internet fraudsters, seizing 18 vehicles and several mobile devices.
It did not name the location.
At a press briefing in Abeokuta on Wednesday, OOPL Managing Director Vitalis Ortese said more than 50 armed men stormed the library complex without a warrant, disrupting private events and causing “bodily injuries” to at least 100 people.
He described the raid as “a direct assault on everything this institution stands for” and “a blatant violation of the rights” of guests and staff.
Ortese demanded ₦1 billion in damages for those arrested and injured, plus an additional ₦2.5 billion to compensate for reputational and business harm to the institution and its chief promoter, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He called for a comprehensive investigation, publication of the findings, and an apology in major newspapers.
He also criticised the “glaring lack of inter-agency collaboration,” noting that police officers stationed at the premises and others from Kemta Police Station were neither informed nor involved.
“Families and international tourists were holidaying. Entrepreneurs were conducting business. Youths were organising musical shows and entertainment events. These are the very expressions of creativity and productivity we are meant to encourage — not criminalise,” he said.
The OOPL has given the EFCC seven days from Wednesday to meet its demands or face legal action.
