*Says: I have evidence on my CCTV camera, photographs, recorded tapes of anti-graft agents’ movement on mask in my establishment’
*Reveals evidentiary chats and text messages of unpublished conversation with EFCC officers on WhatsApp
*Approach the court for perpetual injunction, files for damages and enforcement of fundamental rights
*“Nigeria is surely not a banana republic where chaos, crimes and injustice reign supreme. I will fight this case legally to the end. No single iota of truth in the words of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency as it faces backlash from the Nigerian masses. What right does EFCC have for their agents to illegally storm my hotel? They traumatized my wife-an American citizen, held my staff hostage and stole a huge sum of money from the company’s safe. I am demanding an apology and a sum of N50million as damages”–DUKE fumed in anger
*BY AHMED AYUBARA/ANTI-GRAFT STAFF Writer, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA & KUNMI ADEJARE/COURT & JUSTICE Reporter, Lagos State
NIGERIA’S APEX ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY, THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION, EFCC, is currently enmeshed in a seeming controversy which may snowball out of hand if care is not taken to quench this ember of flame threatening to smear the ‘noble integrity’ of the agency built for decades. The backlash it is generating from the masses may leave EFCC with a tattered reputation and it may hardly recover afterwards.
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (1)
Felix Duke, one of Nigeria’s A-list Reggae dancehalls and President of the Creative Industry Group, CIG, has revealed how alleged power-drunk EFCC officials unlawfully invaded his hotel, damaged properties, held his wife, other employees’ hostage, broke company’s safe and cart away a huge of money.
Speaking in a phone conversation with one of NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER INC USA Correspondents, fuming, he said: “Nigeria is surely not a banana republic where chaos, crimes and injustice reign supreme. I will fight this case legally to the end. No single iota of truth in the words of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency as it faces backlash from the Nigerian masses. What right does EFCC have for their agents to illegally storm my hotel? They traumatized my wife, held my staff hostage and stole a huge sum of money from the company’s safe. I am demanding an apology and a sum of N50million as damages.”
Duke accused operatives of EFCC of invading his hotel in the Abule Egba area of Lagos State, disrupting operations, destroying property, and allegedly stealing money.
The ‘Joana music chat buster’ said the officials, numbering eight, on Friday, August 1, 2025, stormed Duke and Duchess Hotel in an unmarked bus without presenting a valid Warrant of Arrest.
The musician claimed the raid was connected to a fraud allegation levelled against him by a retired soldier with whom he is in a land dispute.
He said, “The EFCC operatives arrived armed and without any legal documentation. They attempted to arrest my wife, Lady Capriz, while I was away. She is an American citizen and refused to go with them unless they produced a valid court warrant, which they could not provide.
“They blocked the entrance to the hotel, drove away customers, and began breaking into rooms, claiming they were looking for me. I later discovered that they carted away €5,000 that was kept in my room.”
Duke described the action as an act of intimidation, accusing the EFCC of using the retired soldier’s petition as a cover to harass him.
According to him, the matter stems from a land dispute, and he had previously filed a petition against the retired soldier, who he believes is using the anti-graft agency to retaliate.
His words: “I have evidence on my CCTV camera, photographs, recorded tapes of anti-graft agents’ movement on mask in my establishment. I have the evidentiary chats and text messages of my unpublished conversation with EFCC officers on WhatsApp.”
Duke said he has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit against the EFCC and the petitioner for violation of his fundamental human rights. In the suit, he demanded an apology and N50 million in general and exemplary damages.
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