ABUJA, Nigeria – Abdulrasheed Bawa, the erstwhile chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), regained freedom after over three months in the clutches of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The news of his release was shared late Wednesday, October 25, 2023 by the DSS’s Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Peter Afunaya.
Bawa’s tumultuous journey began with his abrupt suspension initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, amidst allegations of abuse of office. Complicating matters further, Bawa faced accusations from the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle.
Matawalle alleged that Bawa approached him with a solicitation for a hefty $2 million bribe. An assertion Bawa fervently denies.
In a seemingly unending quagmire of legal proceedings, the EFCC lodged an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which sentenced its Chairman, Bawa, to incarceration.
The Commission, presenting its motion to the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, sought a stay of execution on the Kogi State High Court’s judgment, delivered on December 12, 2022, and the subsequent consequential order passed on February 6, 2023, involving the EFCC and Ali Bello.
With Bawa’s exit, the reins of the EFCC are now held by Ola Olukoyede, marking a new chapter for the agency.
The future for Abdulrasheed Bawa remains uncertain as public speculation and official investigations continue.
