The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it remains resolute in its mission to tackle corruption, stressing that the arrest and ongoing detention of its suspended Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, will not hinder it from carrying out its statutory duty.
EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, told The Punch on Saturday, that the Commission would continue to probe individuals suspected of corrupt practices, irrespective of their high or low-profile status.
Before Bawa was suspended and arrested, prominent figures such as former and present governors, as well as ministers- including Bello Matawalle, Yahaya Bello, and Kayode Fayemi were under investigation for alleged fraud.
In May, Bawa disclosed a probe into allegations of a N70 billion contract fraud involving Matawalle. Additionally, the Commission had revealed an ongoing probe of Yahaya Bello and some of his relatives over 14 properties and N400 million alleged to be proceeds of corruption, and Fayemi was also invited and interrogated for an alleged misappropriation of N4 billion.
Bawa has since remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja since June 14. Despite calls from legal experts including Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Rotimi Jacobs and human rights lawyer Femi Falana, DSS has continued to detain him without charging him to Court.
Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, had said the continued detention of Bawa is baseless and could no longer be justified according to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 bordering on remand order.
While Femi Falana, SAN, on the 20th of August, demanded the immediate release of the suspended Chairman from the custody of the DSS.
He argued that the remand order issued by a Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory “has become spent, invalid and illegal as no magistrate has the power under section 493 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 or section 35 of the Constitution of Nigeria to authorize the detention of a criminal suspect for 67 days without trial.”
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