According to reports, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the embattled former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has been released from custody by the Department of State Service (DSS) after spending more than 134 days in captivity.
Barely a week has passed since the Senate approved Ola Olukoyede’s nomination to serve as the anti-graft agency’s substantive chairman.
Bawa was reportedly freed late on Wednesday night, despite the fact that the circumstances behind his unexpected release are still somewhat murky. Videos of his ecstatic reunion with family members on social media have been making the rounds.
Barely a week has passed since the Senate approved Ola Olukoyede’s nomination to serve as the anti-graft agency’s substantive chairman.
Videos of Bawa celebrating his surprise release on social media show him reuniting with family members, despite the fact that the circumstances surrounding his release remain relatively unclear. Bawa was reportedly freed late on Wednesday night.
In order to allow for a thorough investigation of Bawa’s actions while in office, President Bola Tinubu authorized on June 14 his indefinite suspension as the EFCC Chairman.
This comes after he was accused of grave misconduct in office by certain anti-corruption activists.
He was then detained by the DSS while being investigated for potential financial irregularities during his active years with the anti-graft agency.
However, despite being held by the secret police for more than four months, there were rumors that the troubled former chairman of the EFCC refused to retain legal counsel.
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Bawa’s release was announced by the DSS a few hours ago through Peter Afunanya, Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications.
On the official DSS X (formerly Twitter) account, Afunanya posted a message that stated,
DSS confirms release of former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, a few hours ago (today 25th October, 2023).’’
