Drama in Ikoyi Prison as EFCC Rearrests Cybercrime Suspect Who 'Bribed' Warden With $500 - Foundation For Investigative Journalism

fij.ngApr 1, 2025Read original

There was drama at the correctional facility in Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Friday as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) rearrested Audu Friday, a suspect in a N3.4 billion Ponzi terrorism syndicate, moments after he perfected bail.

Sources familiar with the matter told FIJ that Friday earlier made arrangements for his wife and driver to pick him up from the facility upon release.

When he learnt of the EFCC’s plan to rearrest him at the gate, he instructed his driver to drive into the prison compound on his release date, pick him up, and drive off to evade the officials who would be waiting.

An insider in the prison claims Friday planned his exit with Julius Ogueri, the Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC) at the facility, and a $500 bribe exchanged hands.

“Friday knew the EFCC was coming for him, so he planned with Julius to allow his driver to come into the compound, pick him up, and drive away quietly without anyone knowing,” this insider told FIJ.

“His wife brought $500 in cash and handed it over to Julius so he could facilitate the process, but during the release, Julius turned around and handed him over to the EFCC.”

In a telephone interview with FIJ, Ogueri denied the allegation and said he never collected a bribe from Friday or his wife. He claimed the reason he walked the suspect out of the facility was that he had an arrangement with the anti-graft agency to wait outside the prison so he could hand the suspect over, as they could not arrest him on prison grounds.

Ogueri confirmed Friday’s driver got into the facility on the day of his release but said it was not an extraordinary thing, as many people drive into the facility to pick up inmates scheduled for release.

“I told him to drive out and wait outside because I already had a plan, unknown to them, with the EFCC,” he added.

FIJ spoke with the driver, who chose not to be named. Friday’s driver said he arrived at the prison on Friday morning and received a go-ahead to enter the premises. He could not identify any names or ranks but says a prison official told him he could come in.

“Later on, they said I should go out asoga [Friday] go come meet me outside,” the driver added.

The driver, insider, and Ogueri all said Friday ran off from Ogueri’s side upon sighting the EFCC, and it took the intervention of security operators manning the facility to capture and hand him back to the commission’s officials.

While this was ongoing, Friday’s wife filmed the altercation and verbally lashed out at Ogueri, accusing him of double-crossing her husband after she “paid” for his unhindered exit. Ogueri then seized her phone.

“She was not supposed to film anything here,” the prison official told FIJ.

“This environment is not where people take pictures or videos, so I collected the phone from her.”

The EFCC took both the driver and Mrs Friday with them while rearresting the suspect, and Ogueri said this was the only reason he did not give her phone to her. However, he said he returned the phone on Saturday morning.

FIJ has tried reaching her since Saturday, but all efforts proved abortive.

An investigative panel visited the prison on Saturday, and Ogueri wrote a report claiming Fatunbi Oluwasayo, a warden at the gate, was responsible for the drama that played out.

The insider believes the prison chief was trying to shift blame, but the panel has yet to make its findings public. It is set to do so on Wednesday.

Friday is

before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. He is accused of conspiring with Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, two Chinese men, to gain financial advantage by recruiting Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals in fraudulent schemes.