Anti-Bawa campaign, protests sponsored, EFCC alleges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has alleged that there is a sponsored campaign against its chairman by some Civil Society Organisations, The PUNCH reports.

This was as protests for the removal and arrest of the EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa, from office entered day three on Monday.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed at a press conference at the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Uwujaren said, “The EFCC wishes to raise the alarm about the activities of an amorphous group of so-called Civil Society Organizations who have recently embarked on a campaign to discredit the person of the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and incite the public against the commission.

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“The group, through press conferences and staged street protests, have been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.”

Uwujaren further noted that contrary to these claims, the EFCC wishes to alert the public that the group in question had no interest in the fight against corruption, adding that their allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman was an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements and processes to pitch the public against the commission.

He added, “Information available to the commission indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the commission and have been mobilized and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country, until he is removed from office.

“It is significant that this group found its voice after the EFCC launched an investigation into the mindless looting of the treasury of one of the states. This same group shouted that the commission lacked the power to investigate the theft of the state’s resources.

“Their latest dance in the market square came a few hours after family members of a sitting state governor were arraigned at an Abuja court for allegedly stealing the state’s funds.”

The EFCC further appealed to the public to disregard the campaign by the group, adding that they do not represent the genuine interest of millions of Nigerians who are desirous of seeing progress in the fight against corruption.

“The spectre of rented crowd, rented CSOs, etc. are blights in our social fabric and manifest demonstration of how deep-seated corruption has permeated every sector of our society.

“We want to assure Nigerians that the EFCC will not be distracted by this campaign of calumny as we believe that this agenda will fail.” Uwujaren said.

Meanwhile, the EFCC further added that it was important to reassure Nigerians and all stakeholders that the commission had never, and would not take any steps to undermine the judiciary.

This was as it noted that it had conducted all its activities within the ambit of the law, adding that where judicial decisions were made against it, it never resorted to self-help but the rule of law.

The EFCC PRO added, “It is important to revisit the circumstances of the two orders of committal against the EFCC Chairman. The first order by an FCT High Court on November 8, 2022 was issued over the failure to comply with a November 21, 2018 order of the court directing the commission to return seized assets comprising a Range Rover SUV and the sum of N40million to the applicant.

“For the benefit of the public, the said order of the FCT High Court was given three years before Bawa became EFCC Chairman. Also, the contempt process is quasi criminal in nature and must be served on the person involved. In this case, Bawa as chairman of the EFCC, was neither served Form 48 nor Form 49.”

However, Uwujaren noted that despite this, the EFCC chairman, upon being made aware of the said order of November 21, 2018, had released the Range Rover in question to the Applicant on June 27, 2022 and had approved the process of the release of the remaining N40million before the committal order was issued.

He added that those claiming that Bawa had a penchant for flouting court orders were up to mischief.

He said, “His action does not show contempt for the court or the judiciary which he holds in great esteem. In the case of the last order by Justice R.O. Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court, the processes are still ongoing so I am constrained to make categorical statements.

“Suffice it to say that in invoking Form 49, the court failed to take cognizance of a pending appeal of its ruling of November 30, which directed the commission to produce a fraud suspect, one Ali Bello. It also failed to transmit records of appeal to the Court of Appeal.

“The commission believes it was denied fair hearing as the alleged infringement of the rights of the applicant happened in Abuja which is outside the jurisdiction of the Kogi High court.

“As a law abiding institution, EFCC approached the appellate court, for a stay of execution. This is a valid and lawful remedy by law and does not evoke any aura of impunity or disregard for the judiciary.”