Skales has condemned the EFCC over its Lekki raid, recalling the 2023 home raid that left him traumatised and forced his family to stay elsewhere for days.
The singer went to X to criticise how operatives handled the operation, saying he knows from experience how frightening these encounters can be.
The raid happened early on Monday, October 26, at Applewood Estate in Lekki, Lagos. Videos soon spread online, and many Nigerians questioned how the officers carried themselves. Skales shared one clip showing a young woman who was reportedly hurt during the operation. He called on the commission to stop misusing its power and treat young people with respect.
He was careful to add that he has no love for fraud or fraudsters, and that nobody is stopping the EFCC from doing its job as long as it does it decently. His bigger complaint was about priorities, as he wants the agency to “show the same energy to the politicians that steal billions.”
Skales isn’t speaking from the outside. In October 2023, EFCC operatives reportedly broke into his home while he was asleep with his six-month-old daughter, shortly after he returned from a performance. He later described how scared he was afterwards. He changed the locks and keys and became far more security-conscious. His family had to find somewhere else to stay, while he spent three days at a friend’s place. By his account, the experience still affects him and his family today.
The EFCC has defended its conduct. In a statement on Tuesday, October 27, it called the operation professional and said its Lagos Directorate 1 team arrested 21 suspected cybercrime fraudsters and recovered five exotic cars. According to the commission, the suspects tricked victims into sending money through gift cards, cryptocurrency and international transfers by pretending to be other people. It said preliminary investigations implicated 19 of the 21 suspects, the other two were released, and those indicted will be arraigned in court.
On the woman in the video, the EFCC said she was trying to alert the suspects by phone. Operatives therefore held her phone until the operation ended and gave it back afterwards.
So the argument isn’t really about whether fraud should be tackled, because most people agree it should. It’s about how it’s done, and whether enforcement can happen without leaving fear behind. Skales’ story is a reminder that for some families, the damage of a raid doesn’t end when the officers leave.
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