The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, has refuted reports that Abdulrasheed Bawa, its newly-appointed
chairman has a record of corruption.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwajaren
said Bawa was never arrested or detained for allegedly selling assets.
A report had claimed that Bawa
was arrested by former EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu over the illegal sales of
some forfeited trucks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The alleged illegal sale was said
to have been uncovered by the suspended Secretary of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, who
alerted Magu, thereby leading to Bawa’s detention and subsequent redeployment
to the EFCC Academy in Abuja.
However, Uwajaren disclosed that
the disposal of forfeited trucks in EFCC’s Port Harcourt zonal office through
public auction was conducted after Bawa’s tenure as Zonal Head.
A statement by Uwajaren said:
“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 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, the
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.”
Uwajaren urged Nigerians to
disregard the false report which it claimed was the handi-work of mischief
makers aimed at rubbhising Bawa’s integrity.
Buhari had nominated Bawa as the
substantive Chairman of the anti-graft agency.
The President had written to the
Senate demanding the confirmation of Bawa as EFCC substantive.
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