Barwa was neither arrested nor detained over fraud says EFCC

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday denied any arrest or detention of its newly nominated chairman AbdulRasheed Bawa over fraud.

There have been Media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari’s new nominee for the post of chairman of the anti-graft commission was once indicted over illegal sale of some seized assets in its Portharcourt branch.

Barwa of EFCC

Reacting on Wednesday, EFCC said Bawa could not have been involved in the sale of assets let alone being fraudulent with it.

It said the Commission has a full fledged directorate in charge of assets disposal.

It said “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, 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.”

EFCC said 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 added that 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.

The statement signed by Wilson Uwujaren, commission spokesman urged Nigerians to disregard any claim of fraud in the discharge of duties by Bawa.

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