Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, explained why its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, did not obey a court order that committed him to prison for contempt.
The commission’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, said EFCC believed it was denied fair hearing and that as a law abiding institution, the commission had approached the appellate court for a stay of execution.
He did not say whether the stay of execution had been granted to forestall the order for the arrest of Bawa by the Inspector-General of Police.
Uwujaren, however, alleged that the protests by over 100 anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations, which entered the third day on Monday, was sponsored against the EFCC chairman to discredit his person.
“The group, through press conferences and staged street protests, have been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.
“Contrary to these claims, the EFCC wishes to alert the public that this group have no interest in the fight against corruption and their allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman is an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements and processes to pitch the public against the Commission,” he said.
Uwujaren alleged that information available to the commission indicated that the group was being sponsored by persons under investigation by the EFCC and had been mobilised and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country, until he is removed from office.
