The secret police arrested Bawa on June 14, hours after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.

The Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, in a statement announcing Bawa’s suspension, cited  “weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him” as the reason for the President’s decision.

Since his arrest, the DSS has kept mum on the specific offences for which Bawa was arrested, the level of investigation, and whether charges would be filed against him in court.

A statement by the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, shortly after Bawa’s suspension on June 14, said the embattled EFCC chair arrived at the facility of the DSS in response to an invitation.

“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,” the DSS spokesman had said.

Several calls to Afunanya on Monday to get an update on the matter were not answered. He also did not respond to a text message sent to his line by our correspondent.

Commenting on the continued detention of Bawa, an Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said it was illegal for the DSS to keep Bawa in detention without trial.

He said,  “Without any contradiction, the continued detention of Bawa by the secret police for over three weeks now is unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental rights of the detainee.

“Illegality cannot beget another illegality. The DSS should immediately release Bawa to rejoin his family members without further delay, or charge him to court to face charges preferred against him by the Federal Government. Anything outside these two options is alien to law and won’t stand.”

Speaking to correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, he, however, declined to give the exact number of state chief executives involved.

The anti-graft agency had previously revealed that three governors were being watched on the suspicion that they might attempt to launder stashed cash in their possession which they might not be able to lodge in the bank before the deadline by the Central Bank of Nigeria to return old notes for redesign.

Bawa commended the apex bank’s initiative to redesign some naira denominations, describing it as a significant process in the country’s fight against financial crimes and other forms of corruption.

He said, “On the issue of the governors that we are monitoring, in fact, the numbers have even increased. We are monitoring everything; Nigerians are helping. Well, I don’t want to give you the figures so that you will not go and speculate whether they are in the north or in the south, but it’s important that Nigerians key into it.”

Commending the redesign initiative and how significant the amount of cash out of CBN’s control is, Bawa said, “Oh, it is, it is very significant. You know that there is an obligation of money laundering law that we have, in which an individual is expected to carry out a transaction that is above N5m through the financial institution, there is also the threshold in which a corporate entity is expected to carry out transactions that is above N10m in the financial sector and why is it so?

“It is so because financial institutions are expected to make currency transaction reports, and suspicious transaction reports to relevant agencies. With that, institutions like us will be able to monitor which funds are legitimate and which ones are not legitimate.

“Here we are now, in which 85% of our currency is out in circulation and people are carrying out transactions above the thresholds as provided by this provision over and above that we will not be able to monitor; we don’t know what they’re doing.

“These are the transactions that are creating and giving avenues to other forms of crime that we’re seeing in this country; payment of ransom, banditry, and all of that, payment of bribery to political actors, and the arrest.

So, it is a good thing for all of us, for the entire country and that is why we are calling on Nigerians to embrace the policy.”

The EFCC boss urged politicians to go about their campaigns without using illegitimate funds.

Speaking on the Eagle Eye, an app recently introduced by the commission, he said the initiative was to ease the reporting of crime.

“Let me use this opportunity to remind Nigerians that Eagle Eye is very important for those that are reporting the holders of these currencies that we know that are out there,” he added.

Bawa expressed hope that the US dollar might drop to N200 following the naira’s redesign.

The EFCC boss disclosed this in an interview with Deutsche Welle, Hausa service on Wednesday.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the redesigning of the naira.

Bawa said the naira should be redesigned every eight years.

He said, “The law says the redesigning of Naira notes should be done every eight years, but we spent 20 years without any changes on them.

“And that resulted in 85 per cent of money are in circulation not in banks; when CBN came up with this redesigning, dollar moved to N880 and later dropped to N680 or thereabouts.

“So you see with this redesigning, dollar may massively fall, who knows probably to N200.”

In the last few weeks, the naira has been falling against the world’s major currencies.

The naira staged a comeback, recording gains on the parallel market as it exchanged for about N730 to a dollar last week.

The anti-graft agency has, therefore, asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to furnish it with the bank accounts and other financial details of the political parties.

It also asked the managing directors of Access Bank and Polaris Bank to provide the details of the 14 accounts operated by the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party and another organisation believed to be connected to the opposition party.

While the ruling APC sold its presidential forms for N100m, the main opposition party pegged its forms at N40m.In addition, the APC governorship aspirants paid N50m, while persons who declared for the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly paid N20m, N10m and N2m, respectively for their nomination and expression of interest forms.

On the other hand, the PDP sold its governorship forms for N21m; Senate, N3.5m; House of Representatives, N2.5m; and state Houses of Assembly, N600,000.

While the other parties charged lesser amounts for their forms, the exorbitant nomination fees charged by the two dominant parties angered many Nigerians with Transparency International describing the development as a form of money laundering.

The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, last week hinted on a Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, that the commission would monitor campaign finances, including the legitimacy of the funds used to purchase nomination forms ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Bawa said the commission would be working with INEC and other election-related organisations to track the sources of the money spent on the purchase of nomination forms.

He noted, “When it comes to the issue of monitoring election funds as well as candidates’ funds that has to do with the work of INEC in this regard. But, of course, we are working hand in glove with INEC and other related agencies in that field to ensure that we follow the money.

“We want to know the source, whether it is legitimate or illegitimate, because that is what concerns us.”

Findings by Saturday PUNCH, however, indicated that the agency had begun a forensic investigation and tracking of the finances of the political organisations and interest groups.

The EFCC, in a letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, dated May 9, 2022, signed by its Director of Operations, Michael Wetkas, on behalf of the chairman, demanded a list of all political parties, their designated bank accounts and any other information that could aid its investigation.

The letter, with reference number CB.3383/EFCC/HOPS/HQ/VOL.1/28, titled, ‘Investigation activities’, read, “The commission is conducting an inquiry in which the need to obtain certain information from your commission is imperative. In view of the foregoing, you are requested to kindly avail the following information: list of all registered political parties; list of designated accounts submitted by the political parties to your commission; any other information that may assist the commission in its investigation.

“This request is made pursuant to sections 38(1) and (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004. While thanking you immensely for your continuous cooperation and collaboration, please accept the assurances of the chairman’s esteemed regards.

The EFCC in another letter, also signed by the Head of Operations, informed the managing directors of Access Bank and Polaris Bank in Abuja that it was investigating 14 accounts of the two dominant parties.

According to the letters, the investigation involves accounts 0692988080, 0035644896 and 0044183689 in Access Bank belonging to the APC; an account with number 0054586830 owned by the National Secretariat of the PDP, and three other accounts by Umbrella Trust Limited – 0076600091, 0066988655 and 0068595990.

In Polaris Bank, one of the accounts belongs to the APC (1771444115), while two are operated by the PDP – 1140060876 and 1770319690 – and four by the ‘PDP Fund Raising Dinner’ – 1771643176, 177647521, 177164514 and 1771647507.

Wetkas wrote, “The commission is investigating a case in which the above-mentioned account names and numbers featured.

“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to forward the certified true copies of the following: Account opening packages/mandate cards; statement of account from January 2021 to date (hard and soft copies). The soft copy should be copied to excel format and forwarded to cagomuo@effc.gov.ng.”

The letter also requested the certificate of identification pursuant to Section 84(4) of the Evidence Act, 2011. (The certifying officer should include his full name, designation, signature and date on each page). The commission also requested the banks to furnish it with any other relevant information that could assist the investigation.

Support groups may be probed for money laundering

Obiano, who is under investigation for N42 billion fraud, has been in the EFCC custody since Thursday when he was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State, while attempting to leave for the United States hours after handing over to his successor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.

But speaking to journalists on the sideline of the 5th Annual General Assembly meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa in Abuja on Monday, Bawa explained that the commission was waiting for him to perfect his bail conditions.

Asked why the commission had kept the former governor in its custody, beyond the period allowed by the constitution, Bawa said, “Nothing political about the arrest of the former Anambra State Governor, Wille Obiano. He has been granted bail.”

The anti-graft agency boss insisted that there was nothing political about Obiano’s investigation.

“There is nothing political about the investigation. You know what the EFCC stands for. e investigate crimes, we look at people that have committed crimes and we link it up together and then we go to court.That is all we have been doing and that is what we will continue to do.We have been accused of media trial. But we will continue to do our investigations professionally, ” Bawa said.

Bawa made this appeal on Wednesday when he met with a group of social media influencers under the aegis of the Mofeto Miracle Shurch in Abuja.

In a statement titled, ‘EFCC Boss Meets Leaders of Mofeto Miracle Shurch, Tasks Nigerians on Whistleblowing’ and posted on EFCC Facebook page, Bawa assured that the policy was still in force and closely monitored by the anti-graft agency.

He added that whistleblowers have the opportunity for legitimate earning by exposing economic and financial crimes that lead to financial recovery.

The EFCC chairman encouraged whistleblowers to make use of the EFCC reporting app, Eagle Eye, which could be downloaded from Google Play Store or App Store, to report economic and financial crimes cases.

Led by author and human rights activist, Richard Akinola, the group said they have followed closely the performance of the Bawa-led EFCC and have come to the realization that concerted efforts are needed in the corruption fight.

They promised to partner with the commission in the fight against economic and financial crimes.

Other members of the group that were part of the visit include Lara Owoeye-Wise, Gbenga Aruleba, Yomi Odunuga and Kemas Osuji

Bawa said this was uncovered by the newly-created Department of Intelligence under his administration.

The EFCC Chairman who was giving an update on behind-the-scene investigations bordering on cybercrime and politically exposed persons (PEPs), further revealed that the anti-graft agency has secured 1,576 convictions within 11 months.

Bawa did not reveal the identity of the Governor in the interview published on EFCC Alert, an in-house journal of the commission.

He said  “I can tell you for free that the new Department of Intelligence that we have created is working. They have come up with a lot of intelligence. In one of them, a governor in a Northcentral state within the last six years (one individual) has withdrawn over N60 billion in cash. We are looking at all of that, and I assure you that at the end of all of our investigations, Nigerians are going to be briefed on what we are doing behind-the-scene on cybercrime, politically exposed persons as well as engaging government agencies to ensure that we have better processes and procedures on how to do government business. I can assure you that we are working (on them). We don’t want to talk about matters that are under investigation. Yes, we invited a former governor (Lucky Igbinedion) for interrogation. He was with us for two days and he has been released. The investigation is ongoing, but we are being careful and cautious. So, we won’t be accused of engaging in a media trial.”

On the convictions secured by the agency since he came on board, Bawa said: “From January to November 16, 2021, we have recorded an unprecedented 1,576 convictions; it is an unprecedented number of convictions. The highest number of convictions that the Commission secured previously was 1,282 or thereabout. So, we have beaten that record. I have said it time and again; no agency of government has contributed to the development of law in Nigeria in the last 10 years than the EFCC. We are changing the narrative here because I will also want to report that 122 were discharged and acquitted. Now compare that with the success that we have recorded in terms of convictions. It shows that we lost less than 10 per cent of our cases. That means when you compare by way of measurements, you will see that it is a 90 per cent success rate. We are all over the place trying to see that we eradicate economic and financial crime through the court processes and other preventive measures that we have in place”

Commenting on the seizure of an N20 billion bailout funds which the Kogi State Government has disputed as false, Bawa said; “The records are straight. Based on what we told the court, the court agreed with us and the funds were frozen. Of course, at the end of the day, the funds have been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the betterment of Nigerians that are to utilise them. We have recovered N20 billion from the bailout fund that is given to them. So, that is the record and the evidence is there We are not setting out to be engaging with people on the pages of newspapers or press conferences. We are working hard behind the scenes (to eradicate corruption). And very soon, Nigerians are going to see some of the things that we are doing. We are in a world of social media, where any small thing can be magnified (beyond the ordinary). It is not in our character [to harass anybody]. That is not what we set out to do. That is not what has happened. From January to date, we have arrested nothing less than 2,000 alleged suspected cybercriminals across the country. And then you have one or two persons complaining. But then, look at the ratio, vis-avis people that were arrested and people that are complaining. Indeed, we look inwards to see where we are wrong, and we correct and address it. Of course, we need to be concerned about the human rights of people. It is part of our responsibilities to investigate suspected cybercriminals. All those sting operations that we carried out came as a result of a series of surveillance activities as well as intelligence and information gathered before we moved in. In Lagos alone, from January to now, we have carried out in sting several locations, and if only one or two are complaining out of thousands of such sting operations, I think, it is still a pass mark. I want to assure you that all of the sting operations that we carried out, we carried them out professionally, within the ambit of the law. We are a law-abiding institution and we will continue to be a law-abiding institution.”

EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known in a statement titled, ‘Bawa Is Hale and Hearty – EFCC’.

He said, “The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa is hale and hearty. This clarification became necessary following an incident today September 16, 2021, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja where he was giving a goodwill message to the National Identity Day celebration, felt unwell and had to return to his seat.

“He has since received medical attention and is due back at his desk.”

Daily Trust reported the anti-graft agency’s chairman was giving a goodwill message at the National Identity Day celebration when he suddenly stopped speaking.

Bawa was allegedly talking about a man the commission arrested in Ibadan, Oyo state, with 116 SIM cards, when a stopped talking and covered his face with his right palm, saying “Please, excuse me, I can’t continue.”

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami and other senior officials at the event helped him get to his seat, but he slumped when he got to his seat and was rushed out of the statehouse.

Master of Ceremony (MC) later announced that Bawa’s condition was stable, but those who rushed him out were yet to return to the hall when he said this.

The MC said “I am happy to announce to you that the EFCC Chairman is now stable”

The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who disclosed this while speaking with ThisDay, stated that the commission has a request for Tinubu’s assets declaration form.

“You asked me a question earlier about arresting people before an investigation and now you are saying why didn’t we arrest Tinubu? Why didn’t you just say ‘arrest him’?

“Investigation is ongoing. When you are investigating matters like this, they don’t end in a day. Thousands of investigations are going on, on a daily basis.

“You understand? You know you are from the media. After you will say we are doing a media trial,” Bawa said.