By Ogabo Amajama
It was only a matter of time before the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, was shown the exit door.
And on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu indefinitely suspended the anti-graft boss from office hinting at “weighty allegations” of abuse of office against him.
In a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, on Wednesday, Bawa was directed to immediately handover to the Director, Operations in the Commission pending the conclusion of investigations.
The statement read, “President Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension from office of AbdulRasheed Bawa, CON, as the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office. This follows weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.
“Mr Bawa has been directed to immediately handover the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations in the Commission, who will oversee the affairs of the Office of the Chairman of the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
Bawa was a marked man when during the February 25, 2023 presidential polls, he deployed personnel of the commission to the polling unit of the APC presidential candidate and now President Tinubu.
The EFCC did not deploy such personnel to the polling units of other presidential candidates leading commentators to say it was targeted at only the APC candidate.
The EFFC team arrived Tinubu’s unit at PU 085, Ward 3, Adigun, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State, were seen at that time parading the polling centre although they never disclosed what prompted the visit.
Only recently, the immediate past governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle, accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him.
The governor in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, said of Bawa, “If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate office.
“I am telling you, within 10 seconds, probably more than 200 people will bring evidence of the bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me, but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me, and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office, but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this.”
However, in response, the now suspended EFCC chairman challenged Matawalle to prove the allegation of corruption against him.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa, Bawa said that it would be beneficial for Matawalle to provide supporting evidence for his allegations.
“There is no human being who is 100% clean; I read somewhere he (Matawalle) asked us to extend our investigation to ministers.
“We carry out our investigations thoroughly, and if Governor Matawalle has knowledge of any minister or governor involved in corrupt practices, he should report it to the appropriate authorities.
“If he has records of my purported corrupt practices, the appropriate channels for redress would be through reporting to the police, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct. Subsequently, investigations into such complaints would ensue.” Bawa said.
Under his watch, the EFCC was accused of highhandedness and disobeying court orders.
Further, a senior lawyer and good governance advocate, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, asked the EFCC to stem the ill-treatment of visitors at its Abuja Headquarters.
In a statement, Ajulo described the trend as “worse than corporal punishment,” adding that it is “actually a big source of worry that requires drastic actions.”
“The inhumane treatment that has become a trend at the main gate of EFCC Headquarters, is not just incomparable, it’s actually a big source of worry that requires drastic actions. It’s worse than corporal punishment.
“The man at the helms of affairs of the commission, Rasheed Bawa, with respect sure needs to be called to order. If his commission is bereft of what to do, let him throw-in the towel and let a competent hand do the needful, or shut down the commission’s headquarters.
“Visitors that include lawyers are subjected to harassment and the most inhuman ordeal, as they’re made to queue up in the sun and rain for hours with little or no conducive shelter and without any form of care or attempt to alleviate the indecent condition.
“Many of those who were invited on various issues but got stuck at the gate actually preferred the commission’s officials had come to arrest them so they would escape the inhuman treatment, rather than how they had voluntarily come to the place, only to be subjected to such cruelty that knows no bounds.”