EFCC Examines The Arrest And Bail Process

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, has examined...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has examined its policies on suspect processing, bail, and arrest

The review was implemented throughout all of its Commands on Monday, October 31, 2023, and is based on the necessity of treating suspects in accordance with worldwide best practices and the rule of law.

Suspects' rights are given first priority in the new guideline, particularly when it comes to matters of arrest, imprisonment, and bail. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2011, the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution (as amended), and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the EFCC shall all be taken into consideration while designing operational activities.

In particular, professional certificates of sureties cannot be requested by Commission agents as a condition of release. Additionally, any request for an international passport from a suspect will now be handled carefully, taking into account the circumstances of the case, the suspect's personality, and his or her country of residence.

EFCC Commander CE Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, Director of the EFCC's Legal and Prosecution Branch, issued a warning: "bail conditions served on suspects must be reasonable and practicable to be fulfilled by suspects and their sureties. Detention of suspects without a Remand Warrant for unreasonable length of time beyond the constitutionally allowed period must henceforth stop forthwith."

Officers of the Commission are also warned against unwarranted violation of rights of suspects. He called for professionalism in all operational activities, stressing that "it is time to have a paradigm shift and change the narrative. Henceforth, professionalism shall be the watchword. Let's follow the best international standards worth our identity as a flagship law enforcement agency."