Human rights activists and legal experts are calling out the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for what they describe as its troubling entanglement in politically motivated smear campaigns.
The activists specifically mentioned an ongoing land fraud saga involving Ambassador Dr. (Mrs) Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, her husband Engineer Isaac Ishaku Yusuf, and the Yesufu family.
The latest controversy erupted after civil rights agitator and lawyer, Maxwell Chibuike Okpara, alongside members of the Yesufu family, launched a series of public attacks against the EFCC and Nigerian police.
Okpara accused the agencies of stalling the enforcement of a Federal High Court interim forfeiture order on Guzape Plot 4022 and Katampe Plots 1861–1863—properties allegedly linked to 79-year-old Colleen Mero Yesufu.
However, legal records confirm that the forfeiture order in question had already been struck out by the court and voluntarily withdrawn by the EFCC itself.
Despite this, Okpara—who holds no formal legal brief in the matter—continues to push for enforcement, drawing criticism from observers who see his campaign as reckless, unethical, and misleading.
“This is a dangerous precedent. The EFCC cannot allow itself to be used as a pawn in private vendettas,” said a spokesperson for CHRICED, an independent civic group.
“If a case has been dismissed and withdrawn, why is there pressure to enforce it?”
Other advocacy groups echoed the warning, accusing Okpara and the Yesufu family of weaponizing public emotion and using civil society platforms to discredit legally acquitted parties.
They argue that the EFCC’s reluctance to distance itself publicly from the controversy is damaging its institutional integrity.
Meanwhile, legal professionals are questioning why the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has not taken disciplinary action against Okpara for his inflammatory conduct.
With growing calls for the EFCC to clarify its position and resist political pressure, many say the agency faces a moment of reckoning.