The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports that its chairman-designate, Abdulrasheed Bawa, illegally sold forfeited trucks to proxies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The agency was reacting to a publication by an online news medium, Peoples Gazette, alleging that Bawa was arrested and detained by the agency under former Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, over illegal sale of 244 forfeited trucks.
It claimed the illegal sale was uncovered by the suspended Secretary to the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who alerted Magu, leading to Bawa’s detention and subsequent redeployment to the EFCC Academy, Abuja.
But the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Tuesday, said Bawa was never arrested or detained over the sale of any assets.
‘As Zonal Head of the Port Harcourt Office of the Commission in 2019, Bawa’s responsibilities did not include the sale of assets as the Commission has a full-fledged Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, in which remit such matters reside,” said the statement titled, ‘Abdulrasheed Bawa has no corruption record – EFCC.’
The anti-graft agency explained that the disposal of the forfeited trucks in the Port Harcourt Zonal Office through public auction was conducted after the exit of Bawa as zonal head.
“It is therefore, illogical for him to have been indicted over an auction that was not superintended by him,” the commission stated.
The statement read, “The auction of trucks at the Port Harcourt Office was among the issues examined by the Justice Ayo Salami Panel, leading to the suspension of some officers of the Commission.
“The Commission,therefore, enjoins the public to disregard the false publication which is believed to be sponsored by mischief-makers to impugn the integrity of the EFCC chairman-designate.”
