Suspended EFCC Chair, Bawa In DSS Custody

Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is currently in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

It was learnt that Bawa arrived the headquarters of DSS at about 9:02pm.

A source said he’s currently being grilled by the operatives of the secret police.

DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Wednesday night said Bawa’s invitation was on “investigative activities concerning him”.

The statement read, “The Department of State Services has invited Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Bawa arrived a few hours ago. The invitation relates to some investigative activities concerning him.”

Bawa’s exact offences are yet to be disclosed, but it is believed to be related to ongoing investigations or concerns surrounding Bawa’s tenure as EFCC chairman and allegations of bribe-seeking recently levelled against him by former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle.

THE WITNESS had reported that President Bola Tinubu suspended Bawa over “weighty allegations of abuse of office” levelled against him by unidentified persons or institution.

Announcing his suspension earlier, Willie Bassey, Director of Information at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said: “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.”

President Tinubu’s decision to suspend Bawa as the EFCC chairman came less than two weeks after the president suspended Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over similar allegations.