Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission has been charged over contempt of court and ordered to be committed to Kuje Prison in Abuja.
Ikejabird highlights how the meek looking EFCC boss got himself into this trouble with the court.
Ojuawo’s fraud allegations
In 2016, the EFCC charged Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Adeniyi Ojuawo, the former Director of Operations, Nigeria Air Force on two count charges around bribery and corruption.
The EFCC alleged that the former director collected 40 million Naira and a Range Rover SUV from one Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.
Ojuawo’s trial was handled by Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris of the High Court of the FCT in Nyanya in 2016.
The case was finally discharged and defendant acquitted in November 2018 after the EFCC failed to prove the allegations before the court.
Ojuawo’s Range Rover and 40million
Following the acquittal the court instructed the EFCC under the leadership of the former EFCC boss Ibrahim Magu to return the seized properties of the defendant – a Range Rover and a total sum of 40 million Naira.
Magu refuses to release properties
Ibrahim Magu who was then chairman of the commission refused to return the said Range Rover and 40 million Naira belonging to Ojuawo.
Until Magu was suspended in 2020 and before the resumption of the incumbent chairman, Ojuawo consistently demanded the return of his properties. It has been 4 years since the court’s order.
The commission’s claim
The Commission claims that the court injunction was made before the incumbent chairman was appointed.
It also claims to have made moves to release the properties.
Will Bawa submit to arrest?
Many reactions trail the court judgement yesterday as law experts said it is important the chairman of the commission submit himself to the judgement of the court.
They said the issues should be dealt with legally instead of disobeying the court.
EFCC took legal steps
The Commission has announced it will appeal the court judgement. It described as faulty the arrest of the Chairman who was already making steps to return the properties of the acquitted defendant.
