Management of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force to publicly apologize and pay a whopping sum of N3.5 billion in damages for invading the library and disrupting a party organized by some youth at the premises.

OOPL Managing Director, Vitalis Ortese, who disclosed this at a media briefing yesterday, said the invasion left over 100 patrons brutalised, vehicles seized, and businesses disrupted.

Ortese added that tourism and investment activities in the complex were severely affected when the EFCC operatives raided OOPL in the early hours of Sunday and arrested 96 persons whom they suspected of being internet fraudsters.

He alleged that both the police and EFCC, in a joint operation, deliberately targeted the facility, stressing that the invasion was purposely to attack OOPL’s founder, the ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

The MD divulged that security personnel attached to OOPL recovered 12 expended AK-47 pellets and a beret allegedly belonging to the operatives during the incident, noting that some of the fun-seekers were still receiving medical treatment at the hospital while others were set to testify in court.

He said the management is demanding N1 billion compensation for victims over injuries and seized property, and N2.5 billion for reputational and business damage.

He also sought a public investigation into the raid and an apology from EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. His failure to meet these demands within seven days would leave the institution with no option but to seek legal redress.

The MD said according to EFCC claims, its operation, which ran between 1 a.m. and 3 p.m. on August 10, resulted in the arrest of 96 suspected internet fraudsters.

He noted the raid endangered the lives of families, tourists, entrepreneurs, and youths lawfully engaged in activities within the complex.

Ortese said that the incident had damaged public trust in Ogun State’s tourism sector and urged Governor Dapo Abiodun, the National Security Adviser, and other authorities to prevent a recurrence of what it called “institutional lawlessness.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Olumide Ayeni, who backed Ortese’s stance on the matter, said ballistic experts would determine the number of guns fired, based on the recovered pellets, faulting the operatives for trying to destroy evidence by seizing and smashing patrons’ phones.