Bawa not disobeying court orders, EFCC reacts to protests

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday denied an allegation that its Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was fond of disobeying orders of courts.

There have been a series of protests, especially in Lagos and Abuja by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), demanding the removal of the Chairman of the EFCC.

On Monday, members of another CSO numbering over 100 took over the streets of Lagos to demand the sack of Bawa over human rights infringement and disobedience of court orders.

But Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the groups carrying out the protests have no interest in the fight against Corruption.

He said the commission believed it was denied a fair hearing and that as a law-abiding institution, the EFCC had approached the appellate court, for a stay of execution.

Uwujaren, however, did not say whether the stay of execution had been granted to forestall the order for the arrest of Bawa by the Inspector-General of Police.

He alleged that the protests by over 100 anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations, which entered the third day on Monday, was sponsored against the EFCC chairman to discredit his person.

According to him, the protesters’ allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman is an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements and processes to pitch the public against the commission.

He maintained that those claiming that Bawa has a penchant for flouting court orders are simply up to mischief, which he (Uwujaren) said is clearly the central theme of the plot by the so- called civil society group.

He said: “Information available to the Commission, indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the Commission and have been mobilised 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.

“EFCC appeals to the public to disregard the campaign by this group as 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.

“It is also important to reassure Nigerians and all stakeholders that the Commission has never, and will not take any steps to undermine the judiciary. As a law abiding institution, EFCC has conducted all its activities within the ambit of the law. Where judicial decisions were made against it, it has never resorted to self-help but availed itself of remedies under the law as it did in the instant case of committal orders of court,” the EFCC stated.

While revisiting the circumstances of the two orders of committal against the EFCC Chairman, Uwujaren stated:

“The first order by an FCT High Court on November 8, 2022 was issued over the failure to comply with a November 21st, 2018 order of the court directing the Commission to return seized assets comprising a Range Rover SUV and the sum of N40, 000,000.00

“For the benefit of the public, the said order of the FCT High Court was given three years before Abdulrasheed 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.”