The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has refuted reports by an online publication, alleging that Mr. Adulrasheed Bawa, the Chairman-designate of the Commission, was arrested and detained by the Agency under former Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, over illegal sale of 244 forfeited trucks to proxies in Port Harcourt.
The publication, The Peoples Gazette, the claims that the illegal sale was uncovered by the suspended Secretary to the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who alerted the former chairman, Ibrahim Magu, leading to Bawa’s detention and subsequent redeployment to the EFCC Academy, Abuja.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Commission’s head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujare, the Commission states categorically that Mr Bawa was never arrested or detained over sale of any assets.
The statement disclosed that sale of assets did not constitute part of Bawa’s responsibilities as Zonal Head of the Port Harcourt Office of the Commission in 2019, when he is alleged to have conducted the illegal sale, adding that the Commission has a full-fledged Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, within which such matters reside.
It stated further, that the disposal of finally 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.
According to the statement, 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.
Therefore, the Commission has appealed to the public to disregard the false publication believed to be sponsored by mischief makers to impugn the integrity of the EFCC Chairman-designate.
