Some outgoing governors to be arrested – Bawa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa said, plans have been concluded for the arrest of some outgoing governors.

Those governors and some public officials are to be arrested after May 29, 2023 for prosecution for financial crimes and money laundering.

In an interview with Daily Trust, in Abuja, he said after May 29, the affected governors would have lost their immunity as the anti-graft agency could not arrest them while in offices.

Apart from the governors, the EFCC boss said more arrests would be carried out after May 29 on some public officials.

Bawa who didn’t reveal names of governors to be arrested pointed out that some of them who are not ending their second tenure in May, but later this year will be arrested at that time and be brought under the law.

He further disclosed that two ministries have defrauded the Federal Government to the tune of N4 billion after double payment for about 20 contract’s.

Bawa said, “Currently, we’re investigating two ministries where double payments were made. In one of the ministries, the double payments, cumulatively, were about 20 contracts of over N4bn.

“These were contracts that were done way back 2018, and then some group of people, so bold, came up with the same narration.

“They moved the documents from the file, forged them, and then of course in conspiracy of some civil servants, raised vouchers and pay. How can that happen if we have digitalised procurement processes.”

Speaking on the agitations of some civil society organisations calling for his sack, the anti-corruption agency chairman stated he would not be intimidated by their actions.

The EFCC boss said, “It is on record that I am the first sitting EFCC chairman to go to court and testify, not once, not twice or three times. We now have some group of people that were paid, we know the people that are paying them, coming up with all sorts of gang-ups.

“We are following due process and the rule of law. The court had made a pronouncement, we have appealed that, and there is a stay of execution, what do you expect? We move on!

“How many of our cases were lost? We lost 41 and we got 3,785. What is there? What are we talking about? Who is losing? Who is not losing? Nobody is losing and nobody is winning. But it is like that!

“It happened in 2007, it happened in 2011, it happened in 2015, it happened in 2019 and it is happening in 2023. We’re students of history.

“People are just trying to tell the incoming government that they need to change the chairman, maybe because the chairman is doing the right things. It is just a question of corruption fighting back. Nothing more!

“But what they do not know is the fact that in the last couple of months, we have more than ever before tried to institutionalise the operational activities of the EFCC.

“Whether it is Bawa or not, the EFCC will continue to do those good works that they don’t want and those prosecutions we’re planning to do.

“And God willing, come May and June, we are going to make some huge arrests and commence huge prosecutions of people.

“And for those people that are not leaving in May, whenever they are leaving, we will be waiting for them to ensure that justice is done.”