Nigeria anti-graft body dismisses corruption 'stain' on incoming boss

Barely 24 hours since he was announced as presidential nominee for the position of anti-corruption czar of Nigeria, the outfit Abdulrasheed Bawa is to lead is dismissing corruption allegations against him.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, issued a statement titled "Abdulrasheed Bawa Has No Corruption Record" in response to a report by online portal, People's Gazette, alleging impropriety on the part of the nominee.

The portal in a September 2020 report claimed that Bawa was under investigations for underhand dealings relating to sale of confiscated oil trucks during his duty post to oil-rich Port Harcourt.

He was subsequently moved to lead the EFCC office in Lagos before his recent nomination by president Muhammadu Buhari. His approval is subject to confirmation by the upper house of parliament, the Senate.

EFCC Statement: Abdulrasheed Bawa Has No Corruption Record

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 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-fledge Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, which remit such matters reside.

For the avoidance of doubt, disposal of finally forfeited trucks in the Port Harcourt Zonal Office through 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

The newly appointed 40-year-old EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa has been arrested for theft of confiscated loot in Port-Harcourt last year. He sold 244 trucks of fuel confiscated by EFCC, worth between N20-30 million each to his proxies at N100k per unit. pic.twitter.com/1PO5Qb6Mr3

— Maybeks (@MayUbeku) February 16, 2021