EFCC Defends New Chair Bawa As Graft Allegation Surfaces

*Says Bawa never arrested, detained for corruption

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it never detained or arrested Abdulrashid Bawa, the chairman-designate of the commission, over corruption allegations.

A statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, described a media report about Mr Bawa’s alleged corruption record as illogical.

Mr Bawa, who currently heads the Lagos zonal office of the commission, was on Tuesday, nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari for Senate confirmation as the next substantive chairman of the anti-corruption agency.

Recalls that the diversion of 224 forfeited trucks was one of the allegations levelled against Magu which was brought up before the Salami-led panel.

Bawa was also said to have appeared before the panel over the issue but said he had no hand in the auction of the assets as it was supervised by a different department.

Read the full statement:

Abdulrasheed Bawa Has No Corruption Record – EFCC

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report by an online publication, Peoples Gazette, alleging that Mr Adulrasheed Bawa, the Chairman-designate of the Commission, was arrested and detained by the Agency under former Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, over illegal sale of 244 forfeited trucks to proxies in Port Harcourt.

The publication claims that the illegal sale was uncovered by the suspended Secretary to the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who alerted the former chairman, Ibrahim Magu, leading to Bawa’s detention and subsequent redeployment to the EFCC Academy, Abuja.

The Commission wishes to state categorically that, Mr Bawa was never arrested or detained over the sale of any assets. As Zonal Head of the Port Harcourt Office of the Commission in 2019, Bawa’s responsibilities did not include the sale of assets as the Commission has a full-fledged Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, which remit such matters reside.

For the avoidance of doubt, the disposal of finally forfeited trucks in the Port Harcourt Zonal Office through a public auction was conducted after the exit of Bawa as Zonal Head. It is therefore illogical for him to have been indicted over an auction that was not superintended by him.

The auction of trucks at the Port Harcourt Office was among the issues examined by the Justice Ayo Salami Panel, leading to the suspension of some officers of the Commission.

The Commission, therefore, enjoins the public to disregard the false publication which is believed to be sponsored by mischief makers to impugn the integrity of the EFCC Chairman-designate.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
16 February, 2021