The Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Organisations (CACSO) has accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, for allegedly intimidating the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, to sponsor two of his family members to study abroad.
The group also alleged that the EFCC Chairman used his position to secure jobs for his brothers at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the EFCC which he heads.
In a statement on Sunday in Kaduna, chairman of CACSO, Adamu Musa, said the EFCC Chairman, “is a nepotist who forced the DG of NIMASA into sponsoring his family members to study abroad.”
According to Musa, “Mustapha and Hassan Bawa are fully sponsored by NIMASA to study Mechanical Engineering and Marine operations from 2022 to 2026 and 2022 to 2025 respectively, at the Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, India.
The group also produced two documents, purported to be from the Indian university, showing NIMASA as the sponsors of Mustapha and Hassan Bawa.
According to the group, “Bawa operates like an emperor, using his office to intimidate, harass and force people to do his bidding, the banks, other government agencies and innocent Nigerians with backing from his god-father…”
Musa alleged that, “on the long list of intimidation and harassment is the NCC which Bawa forced into giving his elder brother – Bashir Bawa, a job while he himself, employed another member of his family Yazid Bawa, in the EFCC, Lagos command.”
The statement said, “This is shameful, betrayal of confidence is unheard of in the history of the world, where the person leading an anti corruption crusade is grossly engulfed in corruption.
“More heart breaking, is his exploitation and extortion of other civil servants.
“Flamboyantly, Mr. Bawa travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj in grand style like a King, with family members and close relatives, lodged in, a very luxurious hotel that cost the humongous amount of $300,000 for the period of the trip.
“The compelling question is how can a public servant afford to pay for such a luxury in few days in comparison to his salary?
“Bawa is living lavishly above his standard and means. How much is his salary as a public servant to justify the kind of life he is living?
“He is corrupt, using the office of EFCC Chairman for personal gains…”
According to the coalition, Bawa has no regard for the rule of law, alleging that he operates with impunity
“Another testimony to his illegality, is the fact that he extorts people using his office, demanding for bribes, convictions only take place where individuals refuse to succumb to pressure by the Chairman, then he will harass and prosecute them by any means necessary.
“This was the case with the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, where he demanded $2 million bribe and the illegal arrest of Mr Ali Bello, until a court intervened and declared the arrest was unlawful and unconstitutional even though Bawa never complied”, Musa said.
The group called on Bawa to resign voluntarily or be sacked by the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu, President-elect.