THE management of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, Abeokuta in Ogun State, yesterday, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to apologise over last Sunday’s invasion of its premises.
It also demanded N3.5 billion as restitution for the damage caused to the victims of the illegal invasion and in atonement for the immense damage to the company’s reputation, as well as that of Olusegun Obasanjo, the company’s chief promoter.
The Managing Director of the OOPL, Mr Vitalis Ortese, who stated these while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State, described the EFCC’s actions as “unlawful” and “a direct assault on everything the institution stands for”.
It was reported that operatives of the EFCC stormed the OOPL premises in the early hours of Sunday and arrested 93 suspected internet fraudsters, seized 18 vehicles and mobile devices.
Ortese said the management of OOPL is determined to pursue every legal avenue to ensure that such incident never happens again.
He said: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Nigeria Police Force, are jointly and severally liable for the deliberate embarrassing and utterly malicious damage occasioned by their invasion of August 9 and 10, 2025 as aforestated.
“We are fully persuaded that the acts are not only aggravated, unconstitutional, oppressive, capricious and arbitrary, the actions are also clearly actuated by malice against the institution of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and also of its Chief Promoter, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Head of State (1976-1979) and President of Nigeria (1999-2007).
“The foregoing actions are clearly calculated not only to oppress and brutalise as well as violate in gross terms, the fundamental and other rights of the more than 100 persons as aforestated; but also calculated to wreak maximum damage on the legitimate, commercial business and financial interests of our Client as well as damage the standing of our Client and its Chief Promoter in the eyes of right thinking members of the public both in Nigeria and internationally.
“We, therefore, demand a comprehensive investigation be undertaken by all relevant security agencies with their reports openly published, especially regarding the brutalization of our patrons being citizens who had apparently done nothing wrong nor apparently infracted any law other than engaging in a party as allowed under the law.
“In particular, it is a notorious fact of public knowledge that Chief Obasanjo and his family as well as several of his close friends and associates, live and/or reside at the OOPL premises where the sordid events unfortunately occurred.
“That relevant authorities of the Federal Government, particularly the Chairman of the EFCC, one hand, and the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force on the other, both issue separate public apologies to be widely published in all major media platforms including television, the print as well as social outfits.”
inclusive of X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Channels, AIT, NTA, TVC, Arise as well major newspaper and news magazines including Premium Times and Sahara Reporters.
“That immediate restitution for the damage caused, be made to those persons who were arrested and whose vehicle were carted away by the invasion force of the Police and EFCC, as well as for bodily injuries suffered by these persons numbering at least 100; be paid in the amount of at least N1 Billion. We also demand that a further N 2.5 Billion be paid in token acknowledgment and atonement for the immense damage caused to the reputation, business and our financial reputation as well to the reputation of our Chief Promoter.
“We have engaged legal counsel, security experts, and civil society partners to demand accountability, enforce institutional respect, and protect the rights of our patrons and staff.
“We have further instructed our lawyers that should these demands not be met in full within the next seven days from today, Wednesday August 13, 2025, we shall have no alternative but to proceed to seek redress in a competent court of law without further recourse to the Police and the EFCC; and in which case our demands will not be limited to the foregoing.”
