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Tag: Abdulrasheed Bawa

  • EFCC States Bawa’s Detention Has Not Impacted Investigations

    EFCC States Bawa’s Detention Has Not Impacted Investigations

    By Daniel Edu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asserted that the arrest and continued detention of its former Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has not hindered the agency’s ability to carry out its mandated tasks or pursue investigations into corruption allegations involving individuals both of high and low status.

    In an exclusive telephone interview with our correspondent, Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson for the EFCC, communicated this message on Saturday.

    Notably, Bawa has been confined for 75 days in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) since his apprehension in June. Despite this, the EFCC maintains that it has not refrained from its responsibility to probe individuals suspected of corruption, including prominent figures like former and current governors and ministers.

    Among those being investigated were Bello Matawalle, Yahaya Bello, and Kayode Fayemi. These individuals were subjects of investigation by the EFCC prior to the appointment of the acting EFCC Chairman, Abdulkarim Chukkol.

    During Bawa’s tenure in May 2023, the EFCC announced an investigation into Matawalle involving an alleged N70 billion contract fraud. Earlier, the commission had disclosed its inquiry into Yahaya Bello and certain family members regarding 14 properties and N400 million believed to be proceeds of corruption. Furthermore, Mr. Fayemi was invited by the commission for questioning about an alleged misappropriation of N4 billion.

    The EFCC’s declaration underscores its commitment to carrying out its responsibilities regardless of leadership changes and challenges within the organization.

  • Few Hours After Suspension DSS Invites Bawa For Investigation

    Few Hours After Suspension DSS Invites Bawa For Investigation

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited the suspended Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.

    “Bawa arrived a few hours ago. The invitation relates to some investigative activities concerning him, ” said a statement by the DSS Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, on Wednesday evening.

    This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of Bawa’s indefinite suspension “to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office”.

    According to a statement by the Director of Information at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the action 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,” the statement said.

    See the full statement from the DSS below:

    PRESS RELEASE

    DSS INVITES MR ABDULRASHEED BAWA, SUSPENDED EFCC CHAIRMAN

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bawa arrived a few hours ago. The invitation relates to some investigative activities concerning him.

    Peter Afunanya PhD fsi
    Public Relations Officer
    Department of State Services
    National Headquarters
    Abuja
    14th June, 2023

  • Tinubu Indefinitely Suspends EFCC Boss, AbdulRasheed Bawa

    Tinubu Indefinitely Suspends EFCC Boss, AbdulRasheed Bawa

    The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has indefinitely suspended the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AbdulRasheed Bawa, from office.

    He said this is to allow for a thorough investigation into his conduct while in office following “weighty allegations ” of abuse of office against him.

    This was contained in a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, on Wednesday.

    Bawa was, however, directed to immediately handover to the Director, Operations in the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation.

    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.”

  • Kogi Vs Bawa: Ignore EFCC’s Forfeiture Joke – Fanwo

    Kogi Vs Bawa: Ignore EFCC’s Forfeiture Joke – Fanwo

    From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Kogi state Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, said no Forfeiture of 14 properties linked to Kogi State Government as claimed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    In a statement made available to Journalists in Lokoja, the commissioner said the “forfeiture joke is clearly a desperate concoction of confused, unintelligent officials of the organisation.”

    He said the fact that the EFCC could send out a press statement, titled, “Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of 14 properties linked to Kogi State Government”, showed clearly that uninformed minds had been picked to oversee the affairs of an agency as important as the EFCC.

    According to him, for the avoidance of doubt, the Kogi State Government has no property that can be forfeited to the Federal Government under any guise, it is a campaign of calumny taken too far.

    Fanwo noted that it was clear that the EFCC had declared a tactless open war against the Kogi State Government, owing mainly to the Governor’s unflinching loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and not individuals, stressing that the Governor was not one that could be cowed once he believes in a cause.

    “This is a forfeiture proceeding and the order is an order of interim forfeiture, which gives persons who allegedly own the properties rights to come to court to establish their ownership of the said properties.”

    “For now, it is clear the EFCC has declared a tactless open war against the Kogi State Government, owing mainly to the Governor’s unflinching loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and not individuals. We will prove our innocence in court.”

  • Again, Court Sends EFCC Boss to Kuje Prison

    Again, Court Sends EFCC Boss to Kuje Prison

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been committed to prison for allegedly disobeying court order.

    The court also directed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to effect Bawa’s arrest and remand him in Kuje prison for the next 14 days until he purges himself of the contempt.

    Justice R.O. Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court, in his judgement on Monday, granted the application for committal to prison of the EFCC chairman for disobeying a court ruling delivered on November 30, 2022, wherein the EFCC chairman was directed to produce the applicant in the case, Ali Bello.

    Ali Bello had dragged Bawa to court for arresting and detaining him illegally, with the court ruling in his favour, only for the EFCC to arraign him for alleged money laundering three days after the ruling.
    The EFCC’s applications for setting aside and stay of execution of the ruling were refused for want of merit.

    The Court had, in Form 49, Order IX, Rule 13, marked, “HCL/697M/2022” and titled, “Notice to Show Cause Why Order of Committal Should not be Made,” asked the EFCC Chairman to appear before it on January 18, 2022 to explain why he should not be jailed for flouting the order given on December 12, 2022 in a case filed by Ali Bello against the EFCC and Bawa, as the 1st and 2nd respondents, respectively.

    The court ordered that the EFCC and Bawa be served the motion of notice together with Form 49 by substituted means.
    The court had declared the arrest and detention of the applicant in the face of a subsisting court order made by a court of competent jurisdiction and without a warrant of arrest “or being informed of the offence for which he was arrested” as unlawful, unconstitutional, and in contravention of the personal liberty and dignity of human person guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

    The court had also ordered the respondents to tender an apology to the applicant in a national newspaper and awarded N10 million compensation for him.

  • BREAKING: Court Sentence EFCC Boss To Jail

    BREAKING: Court Sentence EFCC Boss To Jail

    An FCT High Court has convicted Abdulrasheed Bawa, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for contempt of court.

    The conviction came following the failure of the EFCC to comply with a court order asking it to return a Range Rover and the sum of N40 million to the applicant in a suit.

    In her ruling, Justice Chizoba Oji held that the anti-crime Commission boss has committed contempt of the orders of the court made on November 21, 2018.

    The court order had directed EFCC to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Super charge) and the sum of N40, 000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).

    “Having continued wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt,” the court ordered.

    The judge also ordered the Inspector General of Police to ensure compliance to the court order forthwith.

    Ojuawo had, in the motion filed by his lawyer, R.N. Ojabo, in a suit marked: FCT/HC/CR/184/2016 argued that the EFCC refused to comply with the order for the release of his seized property, made by the court in a judgment delivered on November 21, 2018.

  • EFCC To Take War Against Money Laundering To Lawyers, Accountants, Others

    EFCC To Take War Against Money Laundering To Lawyers, Accountants, Others

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says ahead of the 2023 elections, it will take the war against money laundering by politicians to lawyers, accountants, professionals and other designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPS).

    The Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa said this on Tuesday at a workshop on financial crimes reporting organised by the Commission for some selected journalists in Lagos.

    Bawa said the commission was stepping up its investigations of the DNFBPS through its Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) under the newly enacted Money Laundering Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2022.

    ”There are certain provisions of this new law that I believe will affect you directly or indirectly. One is the secrecy of financial transactions. The new law criminalizes the operations of numbered accounts and also mandates financial institutions to ascertain the beneficial owners of accounts before opening such accounts.

    ”There is a more robust requirement for due diligence and reporting obligation by financial institutions and non-financial businesses and professions to the SCUML,” he added.

    On the 2023 general elections, Bawa said the commission was beaming its searchlight on some politicians.

    He also said that the commission was taking an interest in the activities of some lawyers, accountants, tax consultants, real estate agents, construction companies, car dealers, precious stone dealers and some others as its investigations showed that they had become gatekeepers of money laundering.

    Bawa said, ”we can’t afford to have criminals hijacking our own political process. if they have some funds that they want to channel from there, we have to block them…very important and very critical, because the work we are doing is for the betterment of this country and we need to ensure that we have only legitimate sources of funds in our political process so we can elect our right leaders.

    ”But what we have seen time and time again is that some funds that are finding their way to lawyers’ accounts are monies taken there for the purpose of laundering and we have quite a number of cases to show for it”.

    ”They can hide under the guise of payment of fees to do that but at the end of the day, investigations will show whether the payment is for legal fees or otherwise. they are getting smarter, and we too are getting smarter. Luckily for us, we have Polygraph and if you consent to it, we do a polygraph and you will tell us the truth.

    ”We have seen for instance a legal practitioner that he is the one paying for tickets, school fees, and almost everything for his client so what are we talking about here and it’s not something peculiar to Nigeria and that’s why we say Nigeria should not be left out in global best practises regarding legal practitioners making currency transaction reports on their clients activities.

    Bawa also revealed that the EFCC had recorded over 2,701 convictions as at October 7, 2022.

    He said, “In 2021, the commission secured 2,220 convictions. This has jumped to 2,701 by October 7, 2022. Assets running into several billions of naira have also been recovered by the commission. In spite of this, we are not resting on our laurels because there is more ground to be covered. we believe more needs to be done to deter citizens from getting involved in financial crimes and discourage the theft of public resources.

    ”It is for this reason we are intensifying our public enlightenment engagements, which in a few weeks time will witness the formal launch of the EFCC radio.”

  • EFCC Investigating Source of Money Used in Buying Party Nomination Forms – Bawa

    EFCC Investigating Source of Money Used in Buying Party Nomination Forms – Bawa

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said they are investigating the source of money used by aspirants to purchase party nomination forms ahead of the 2023 elections.

    Bawa stated this on Friday when he featured on Channels Television’s current affairs programme, Politics Today.

    “When it comes to the issue of monitoring election funds as well as candidates’ funds, that has to do with the work of INEC in this regard but, of course, we are working hand in gloves with INEC and other related agencies in that field to ensure that we follow the money, we know the source, whether it is legitimate or illegitimate because that is what concerns us,” he said.

  • BREAKING: EFCC Boss Abdulrasheed Bawa Slumps In Abuja

    BREAKING: EFCC Boss Abdulrasheed Bawa Slumps In Abuja

    Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday reportedly collapsed while delivering a speech at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to Daily Trust, Bawa was giving a goodwill message at the National Identity Day celebration when he suddenly stopped speaking.

    He was later assisted to his seat by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, and other senior officials at the event and was rushed out.

    Before the incident, Bawa was speaking about a man who was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, with 116 SIM cards.

    Details later…

  • BREAKING: EFCC To Prosecute Orji Kalu All Over Again – Bawa

    BREAKING: EFCC To Prosecute Orji Kalu All Over Again – Bawa

    Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdularasheed Bawa has said former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu will be prosecuted by the agency all over again.

    The anti-graft agency boss also said he is not perturbed over the threats to his life and he is determined to prosecute the many pending cases under trial.

    Bawa disclosed this on Thursday while addressing journalists during the weekly ministerial chat at the State House in Abuja.

    He gave insight into ongoing prosecutions, challenges, and increasing cases of financial crimes since his assumption into office 100 days ago.

    He also clarified reports accredited to him concerning the involvement of a Minister in the laundering of about $37 million into real estate. He disclosed that he simply made reference to an old case involving a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Madueke.

    The EFCC Chairman further disclosed that since his first 100 days in office, the agency has been working on a number of proactive strategies including a special control unit against money laundering, established particularly to address non-designated financial institutions including car dealers, real estate, jewellery dealers, among others.

    Bawa said he is confident that when the unit is fully established, corruption will significantly decline in the country.

    He then added that the agency is equally working towards the development of a biometric ownership database to address money laundering.

    According to him, most proceeds of crime are laundered through real estate and have become a huge challenge. He gives examples of property acquired especially in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt where billions of naira are laundered through this means.

    He, however, declined to disclose actual perpetrators or the properties involved.

    He revealed that since his assumption, a number of recoveries have been made including N6billion, $161million, £13,000 pounds, €1,730 among others.

    Internet fraudsters numbering 1,502 have also been apprehended between January to June 2021and efforts are underway to file about 800 of them. A hundred cases will be filed in court.