EFCC defends Abdulrasheed Bawa, says he has no corruption record

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has denied reports that its chairman-designate, Abdulrasheed Bawa, 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 in a statement issued Tuesday night said Bawa was neither arrested nor detained.

“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”, it said.

The statement signed by spokesman for the commission, Wilson Ewujaren, said, “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-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 public auction, was conducted after the exit of Bawa as zonal head”, it said.

The EFCC said it was 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”, it said.

The commission urged the public to disregard the false publication, which it described as the handiwork of mischief makers to impugn the integrity of Bawa.