EFCC: 850 police officers may be affected in major shake-up

There are indications that 850 police officers currently working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will be affected in a major reorganisation currently in the works at the anti-graft agency.

It was learnt on Sunday that the shake-up being planned by the EFCC under the leadership of Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as chairman-designate was aimed at repositioning the agency.

Although the police officers likely to be affected are said to be feeling uncomfortable with the arrangement, it was learnt that the new leadership of the agency was planning to return them to the Nigeria Police Force where they could perform their core function of protecting the citizens from violent criminals.

Bawa nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 16 is one of the pioneers of the EFCC Academy and the first non-police officer picked to head the commission since its inception in 2003.

According to sources, Bawa is under pressure by EFCC operatives who are agitating that the police personnel should leave the commission for its trained officers.

Beside, the return of the police personnel would help boost the staff strength of the police since the Inspector-General of Police had always complained about the shortage of personnel.

While the commission was under the leadership of the police, the non-police career officers were said to have had a running battle with the police personnel.

The staff strength of the EFCC is currently put at 2,220, spread across different departments out of which about 850 are police officers.

The former acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, had in one of his budget defences lamented poor funding that prevented the commission from recruiting 750 additional staff.

It was gathered that the recruitment was carried out but did not meet the target number envisaged.

Meanwhile, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 10, Sokoto, Mr Ali Janga, has hailed the nomination of Bawa as the chairman-designate, saying that the nomination of a core staff of the commission is proof that the police have creditably discharged their duties of nurturing the commission to maturity.

The AIG spoke while receiving the Head, EFCC Sokoto Zonal Office, Mr Bawa Kaltungo, and his team that paid him a courtesy visit.

Janga said he was among the pioneer 23 officers that started the EFCC in 2003 and trained the pioneer Course 1 cadet officers.

An EFCC statement said the zonal police boss assured the EFCC delegation of enhanced cooperation.

Kaltungo had solicited more cooperation and support from the AIG, adding that the commission is desirous of leveraging on the strength of the police.