Suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, last night surrendered himself to the Department of State Services and is currently in the custody of the secret police.
Bawa was said to have arrived the DSS headquarters at about 9:02pm, a few hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered his indefinite suspension and probe.
First News learnt that the embattled EFCC boss is currently being grilled by the operatives of the DSS
Spokesman of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Wednesday night, confirmed Bawa’s presence at the headquarters of the secret police.
A terse statement by the DSS spokesman read, “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.”
Present Tinubu, on Wednesday night, gave the approval for Bawa’s indefinite suspension to allow for a proper investigation into his conduct while in office.
Director, Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, announced this in a statement.
Bawa’s suspension is coming less than a week after the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was also suspended by the President, who ordered a probe of the apex bank under Emefiele’s watch.
The suspended EFCC boss, the statement said, had been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Director of Operations in the commission, who will oversee the affairs of the office of the chairman of the anti-graft agency pending the conclusion of the investigation.
According to the statement, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, has approved the indefinite suspension from office of Mr. AbdulRasheed Bawa, CON, as the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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.”
