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November 20, 2024
Lucent was taken into custody last Thursday during an EFCC raid on Apple Gate Suites in Kaduna.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has freed musician Cyrus Reggae, also known as Lucent, after nearly a week-long detention in Kaduna State.
Lucent was taken into custody last Thursday during an EFCC raid on Apple Gate Suites in Kaduna.
A friend of the detained musician had accused the EFCC of wrongly labelling Lucent as "Yahoo Boy" (internet fraudster) despite lacking concrete evidence to support the allegations against him. According to the friend, officials of the agency subsequently tried to extort him.
“Since they have nothing against him, they have resorted to demanding money before they will allow him to go,” the friend told SaharaReporters.
“They said he should pay the sum of N150,000. That is extortion. He did not commit any crime,” he added.
SaharaReporters on Monday evening reported that EFCC officials had asked Lucent’s family to get SaharaReporters to take down the report on the situation before they would consider releasing the musician.
“EFCC is asking Lucent’s family to go and get the report done by SaharaReporters pulled down before they can release him,” a source told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters learnt that the EFCC also demanded that Lucent should produce two “reasonable sureties,” preferably senior employees of any of the ministries or agency of the government or private person who owns landed property in Kaduna.
“The intending sureties must provide evidence of tax payments for the last three years/company income tax. They should deposit their passports,” a source close to the family said.
Giving an update about the incident to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, a source close to the disclosed that the musician had secured his freedom from the EFCC.
The source added that the musician was released without any conditions.
“Lucent has been released without any condition; I just spoke to him,” the source told SaharaReporters.