A dispute may be brewing between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Police over the custody of two suspects arrested in connection with a reported glitch involving a microfinance bank.
The suspects, Illesanmi Olaniyi and Ishola Maruf, were first arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja on March 17, 2024, and later granted administrative bail, which remains in effect.
Their lawyer, Khadijah Bayern, said two vehicles- a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota RAV4- along with documents, goods and other personal items were seized during the initial police investigation.
The seized items, she noted, were still in police custody, with a forfeiture case ongoing in court.
However, Bayern has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), accusing the EFCC of re-arresting her clients on the same matter currently being handled by the police and already before a court.
In the petition titled Double Jeopardy and Intimidation, Bayern alleged that the suspects have been held in EFCC custody for over 12 days without bail.
She urged the AGF to intervene, saying multiple arrests by different agencies on the same issue could frustrate the legal process.
In a separate letter dated July 29, 2025, another lawyer representing the suspects also wrote to the Director of EFCC’s Special Duty Section 2 (SDC2), requesting flexibility in the bail conditions.
The counsel asked the Commission to accept civil servants on Grade Level 14 or 15 as sureties, instead of higher-level officers earlier required.
The letter also drew attention to the medical conditions of the suspects, claiming they suffer from a cardiovascular ailment that requires regular medical attention.
The legal team assured the EFCC of its cooperation with the ongoing investigation and urged the agency to consider the request in the interest of justice and fairness
As of press time, neither the EFCC nor the police had commented on the overlapping investigation or the suspects’ continued detention.
