In a significant development, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been relocated from the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) to a private facility. This move comes after Bawa adamantly refused to provide any statements while in custody.
Sources reveal that Bawa’s transfer to the private facility was orchestrated to ensure total control over him following his refusal to cooperate with investigators. He maintained that the DSS had no right to detain him without formal charges, thereby justifying his decision not to provide any statements during his confinement.
Reports indicate that Bawa has been detained alongside Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, on corruption allegations and accusations of abuse of office. The duo’s suspension from their respective offices by President Bola Tinubu’s administration sparked a series of investigations into their conduct.
It is worth noting that Bawa’s noncompliance with DSS investigators has caused further tension. Sources suggest that he vehemently resisted cooperating with the DSS, intensifying the already complex situation surrounding his detention.
SaharaReporters previously disclosed that Emefiele implicated Bawa in the Naira redesign scam, which rocked the nation several months ago. This revelation led to Bawa’s subsequent invitation and questioning by the DSS. Emefiele himself was arrested and flown from Lagos to Abuja for interrogation on corruption and abuse of office allegations.
The Naira redesign policy, announced on November 23, 2022, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari and Emefiele, created severe difficulties for Nigerians due to the scarcity of new Naira notes. The scarcity triggered a cash crisis, resulting in long queues at banks and ATMs across the country.
According to insider sources, Emefiele claimed that Bawa had raised a memo to former President Buhari, recommending the Naira’s redesign to combat money laundering during the 2023 elections. This revelation reportedly caused a confrontation between Emefiele and Bawa, with the latter asserting that Emefiele and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, were the ones who urged him to draft the memo due to suspicions of large Naira holdings by politician Bola Tinubu.
The ongoing developments surrounding Bawa and Emefiele have triggered a significant public outcry, as Nigerians grapple with the consequences of the Naira redesign and cashless policies. Emefiele’s noncompliance with a Supreme Court ruling, which allowed the old Naira notes as legal tender until December 31, worsened the situation. Former President Buhari distanced himself from the disobedience to the court order.
The exact outcome and implications of these revelations remain uncertain as investigations continue. The public awaits further updates on the actions to be taken against both Bawa and Emefiele, as well as the potential consequences for Nigeria’s financial and anti-corruption sectors.
