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Corruption allegations: Like Magu, Bawa must quit now, face probe panel – Over 150 CSOs tell FG

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Corruption allegations: Like Magu, Bawa must quit now, face probe panel - Over 150 CSOs tell FG

Corruption allegations: Like Magu, Bawa must quit now, face probe panel – Over 150 CSOs tell FG

. Say EFCC not conceived as agency for settling political scores

 

 

 

Following Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State’s bombshell, on Wednesday, that he and some other prominent Nigerians have evidence of corrupt practices against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, notable Anti-Corruption crusaders in Nigeria, numbering over 150, have said he can no longer continue to stay in office.

 

Corruption allegations: Like Magu, Bawa must quit now, face probe panel - Over 150 CSOs tell FG

 

 

The leaders of the organisations who said they had refused to be cowed into shelving their agitation for a genuine fight against corruption in Nigeria, said inasmuch as elected officials must account for their actions in office, they shared Matawalle’s view that the investigations must not be selective but all-embracing.

 

 

 

 

 

According to the activists, the EFCC is an important agency in Nigeria, established to rid the society of corruption with impunity, it was not conceived as an agency meant for settling scores for political godfathers.

 

 

 

 

Led by the Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, Debo Adeniran, the activists said, at a press conference in Lagos, that it was the standard practice all over the world for officials who have been accused of gross misconduct to step aside while investigations are conducted to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

 

 

 

 

They, therefore, called for a full probe into the activities of the EFCC under Bawa, saying, “His predecessor, Ibrahim Magu, was not only told to step aside when Bawa’s godfather wanted him out at all costs, he was humiliated out of office and up till tomorrow, no one knows the exact outcome of the probe against him.”

 

 

 

 

According to them, from the interraction of Journalists and CSOs with ordinary Nigerians who had been invited for one reason or the other at the Commission, “there have been several allegations to the effect that about 80 per cent of cases under EFCC investigation are not taken to court. EFCC offices now literally serve as court rooms.”

 

 

 

 

 

“There are damning allegations that some of the Commission’s officials simply negotiate with suspects, get assets and cash retrieved and do plea bargains.  This opens limitless opportunities for corrupt bargaining and self-enrichment by the operatives of EFCC under Mr. Bawa’s watch,” the anti-corruption activists alleged.

 

 

 

 

 

“This needs to be thoroughly investigated by a technical Commission of Inquiry to dig into the modus operandi of EFCC investigations in the last three years by thoroughly analysing records of arrests, investigations, outcomes and final closure of each incident and individual suspects and how the matters were eventually dispensed with,” they demanded.

 

 

 

 

 

In a speech delivered on behalf of the CSOs, their spokesperson, Olufemi Lawson, stated, “Allegations of sharp practices with confiscated assets by the Commission have refused to go away. To this end,  all seized assets need to be forensically audited with a view to recovering all assets re-looted or auctioned in suspicious circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

“The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been convicted for contempt over his failure to comply with an earlier order of the court. As we speak, the Inspector-General of Police has not complied with a court order to commit Bawa to Kuje prison while Bawa has not deemed it fit to purge himself of contempt.”

 

 

 

 

The activists said claims by Bawa that the EFCC had secured 98.93 per cent convictions in 2022, losing only 1.07 per cent, were spurious, noting that a large chunk of the convictions were online fraudsters, while favoured political office holders were left untouched.

 

 

 

 

 

Lawson said, “We are also aware that in December 2022, the Bawa-led EFCC had announced its plan to sell forfeited properties. It also announced later in January that about 12 bids were made for those properties and, later, that six of those bids were successful. No details of this were made public, either to know successful bids or rejected ones. This was a ploy, in our opinion, to make the processes less transparent and, therefore, facilitate corrupt mismanagement of the proceeds or ensure that only their corrupt allies got the opportunity to purchase the assets at giveaway prices. The processes were rendered opaque and that’s very suspicious.

 

 

 

 

 

“The EFCC has done a selective invitation to outgoing Governors in Nigeria, reportedly exempting other government officials who have loads of petitions against them, even by Governors.”

 

 

 

 

 

“If a government agency expected to fight crime is found going about its business in a manner that mimics witch-hunt and selective justice while also being unable to deal with corruption going on within its own workforce, the Coalition of Anti-Corruption Organizations, COACOs, is afraid that the Nation may slide into some real crisis of confidence in our systems, which is bound to provoke a defunding of the EFCC by local and international donor organizations,” the activists stressed.

 

 

Full text

 

BAWA CANNOT REMAIN IN OFFICE WITH DIRECT CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM. HE MUST STEP ASIDE TO BE INVESTIGATED

 

Civil Society leaders here present, fellow Nigerians, ladies and gentlemen of the Press.

As it has been already established months ago, the Coalition of Anti-Corruption Organizations is an amalgam of organizations that are focused on ensuring that public office holders are accountable, law-abiding and verifiably trustworthy, especially those charged with the responsibility of keeping watch over our collective commonwealth to ensure its protection from the roving fingers of corrupt elements in public service.

In the struggle to clean up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and render its leadership accountable, we do not need any introductions because Nigerians are living witnesses to our patriotic advocacy for a non-corrupt, effective, impartial and transparent EFCC leadership, which we make bold to say Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa has largely messed up.

The recent direct allegations of corrupt practices in the EFCC, mismanagement of seized assets and acts of impunity without regard to the laws of the land, leveled directly against Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa by a sitting governor is a futher confirmation of all that we have been saying about the ignoble conduct of the EFCC under Bawa.

Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State was unequivocal in his direct allegations against Mr Bawa, demanding a probe into his leadership and asking him to step aside immediately. For a sitting Governor to make such far-reaching allegations publicly and saying he and others have evidence to back those allegations is not something to be overlooked by Nigerians and the Presidency especially, which has the power to appoint and fire the EFCC chairman.

Anyone given the responsibility of fighting corruption cannot be consistently floating in the waters of corruption allegations every now and then.

To this end, we in COACOs are consistently monitoring all government processes and engagements as represented by the conduct of government institutions and those put in charge of running them.

It is on the basis of our core values as a group that we have consistently advocated for ensuring that whoever would lead the EFCC must not be trustworthy but also, like Caesar’s wife, be without blemish or reproach upon which we have been demanding the removal of Mr. Bawa because he does not fit the bill of EFCC leadership. In fact, the thought of even retaining or reappointing him is natural repugnant to the sensibilities of enlightened and patriotic Nigerians.

We are aware of several anomalies that have transpired since Mr. Bawa became Chairman of the Commission and to that fact we do not think such an individual should have been made the head of a Commission that is saddled with the responsibility of keeping public and private office holders accountable.

We also wish to remind Nigerians that the Coalition of Anti-Corruption Organizations had on the 15th March, 2023 petitioned Mr President on this same issue and we wonder why no step has been taken in this regard nor an investigation carried out on the issues raised to the best of our knowledge till date.

The raison d’être of our current advocacy is informed by the following ;

1. There have been several allegations to the effect  that about 80% of cases under EFCC investigation are not taken to court. EFCC offices now literally serve as court rooms. There are damning allegations that some of the Commission’s officials simply negotiate with suspects, get assets and cash retrieved and do plea bargains.  This opens limitless opportunities for corrupt bargaining and self-enrichment by the operatives of EFCC under Mr. Bawa’s watch.
This needs to be thoroughly investigated by a technical Commission of Inquiry to dig into the modus operandi of EFCC investigations in the last three years by thoroughly analyzing records of arrests, investigations, outcomes and final closure of each incident and individual suspects and how the matters were eventually dispensed with.

2. Allegations of sharp practices with confiscated assets by the Commission have refused to go away. To this end,  all seized assets need to be forensically audited with a view to recovering all assets re-looted or auctioned in suspicious circumstances.

3. The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been convicted for contempt over his failure to comply with an earlier order of the court. As we speak, the Inspector-General of Police has not complied with a court order to commit Bawa to Kuje prison while Bawa has not deemed it fit to purge himself of contempt.

4. In the character of the EFCC Chairman, Bawa led the commission to ignore orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.

5. We are aware that upon his nomination for the position of the Commission’s chairman, in the year 2021, several groups of Nigerians had opposed the appointment of Bawa based on what was described as his not-so-good antecedents.

6. For instance, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership,CACOL, in a letter dated 18th February 2021, asked the National Assembly to reject the nomination of Mr Bawa as the EFCC, based on several controversies that characterized his tenure in previous positions in the EFCC, given the grave implications of such on the exalted position of the EFCC Chairman.

6A. We are aware of how the EFCC, under Mr. Bawa, is also quickly becoming a cesspool of internal corruption with several reports of corrupt practices going on within the commission as alluded to by Governor Matawalle yesterday.

6B. There are allegations of age falsification to remain in office beyond the statutory limit of civil service regulations, involving very senior officers of the Commission who are said to be cronies of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa and enjoy his protection.

7. The Bawa-led EFCC claimed that it secured 98.93% convictions in 2022, losing only 1.07%, a claim that is so spurious, considering the fact that a large chunk of the convictions are online fraudsters, leaving out favoured political office holders as if it is not a part of its core duties to investigate politically exposed persons except those its officials are hands-in-gloves with.

8.  We are also aware that in December 2022, the Bawa-led EFCC had announced its plan to sell forfeited properties. It also announced later in January that about 12 bids were made for those properties and later that 6 of those bids were successful. No details of this were made public, either to know successful bids or rejected ones. This was a ploy, in our opinion, to make the processes less transparent and, therefore, facilitate corrupt mismanagement of the proceeds or ensure that only their corrupt allies got the opportunity to purchase the assets at giveaway prices. The processes were rendered opaque and that’s very suspicious.

9. The EFCC has done a selective invitation to outgoing Governors in Nigeria, reportedly exempting other government officials who have loads of petitions against them, even by Governors.

If a government agency expected to fight crime is found going about its business in a manner that mimics witch-hunt and selective justice while also being unable to deal with corruption going on within its own workforce, the Coalition of Anti-Corruption Organizations, COACOs, is afraid that the Nation may slide into some real crisis of confidence in our systems which is bound to provoke a defunding of the EFCC by local and international donor organizations.

We agree with the position taken by Governor Matawalle that
“Bawa should explain, for instance, how he has assumed the role of the plaintiff, prosecutor and jury and how he has executed his brand of plea bargaining with suspected criminals and saboteurs of the Nigerian economy and agenda who instead of being put on trial, are walking freely all over Nigeria”.

OUR DEMANDS

1. The Presidency to commission an Enquiry into the activities of the EFCC, its present engagements and happenings within the Commission throughout Mr Bawa’s stay in office.

2. Order an immediate overhaul of the Commission and, where necessary, lobby the National Assembly to amend the EFCC Act to make the structure less prone to highhandedness and make the Chairmen answerable to the laws of the land.

3. Since there are already direct allegations against him, Bawa must step aside for investigation. This is the standard practice all over the world. His predecessor, Ibrahim Magu, was not only told to step aside when Bawa’s godfather wanted him out at all costs, he was humiliated out of office and up till tomorrow, no one knows the exact outcome of the probe against him.

 

Sgd :

Comrade Debo Adeniran

Comrade Olufemi Lawson

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Family Accuses Kwara Police of Torturing Man to Death Over Debt, Investigation Underway

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Family Accuses Kwara Police of Torturing Man to Death Over Debt, Investigation Underway

Family Accuses Kwara Police of Torturing Man to Death Over Debt, Investigation Underway

 

The death of 35-year-old Jimoh AbdulQodir Tunji in the custody of the Kwara State Police Command has left his family and the local community in shock, with accusations of police brutality emerging after the man’s tragic passing.

Tunji, a poultry farmer, was allegedly arrested on Friday, December 20, following a petition filed by his employer over an unpaid debt of N220,000. His family has accused police officers of torturing him to death while in custody, a claim that has sparked widespread outrage.

A heartbreaking video surfaced online on Sunday, showing Tunji’s grieving mother and relatives accusing the police of causing his death. In the emotional footage, his mother tearfully cried out, “My son did not kill anyone. He only owed someone. They have killed my son. Please, come to my aid. The police at the headquarters have killed my son. His name was Kadri. He was a good boy in the community. They beat him to death in police custody. They didn’t allow us to see him. Blood was gushing out of his nose.”

In response to the allegations, the Kwara State Police Command released a statement confirming the incident. The police spokesperson, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, stated that Tunji had been invited by the police on charges of obtaining money by “false pretence” and confirmed that an investigation had already begun to determine the cause of death.

“The Kwara State Police Command is aware of an unfortunate incident that led to the tragic loss of one Mr. Jimoh AbdulQodir, which occurred on December 20, 2024,” the statement read. “The deceased was invited on an alleged case of obtaining money by false pretence to the sum of N220,000. Discreet investigations into this incident have commenced to ascertain the cause. Further developments on the outcome will be communicated as it progresses, as no stone will be left unturned.”

The case has drawn significant attention, as it marks the third time in under five months that the Kwara State Police have been implicated in the death of a suspect. Earlier this year, police officers were accused of causing the deaths of 27-year-old Suleiman Olayinka, an asthmatic patient, and Kwara State Polytechnic student Ishola Abdulqoyum, who was allegedly fatally shot by officers in September.

In a bid to ensure accountability, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, instructed the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) to take over the investigation into Tunji’s death. The IGP expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and reassured the public of a thorough and impartial investigation.

During a meeting with the family on Sunday, the IGP said, “The IGP has ordered the FCID to handle the case with utmost diligence and ensure a conclusive and impartial investigation. He further reassured the family and the general public that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability, professionalism, and respect for human rights.”

The case has reignited concerns about police brutality in Kwara, as the region grapples with rising incidents of alleged police violence. As the investigation unfolds, the family and the public are closely watching to see if justice will be served.

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Seven Dead in Light Aircraft Crash in Jalisco, Mexico

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Seven Dead in Light Aircraft Crash in Jalisco, Mexico

Seven Dead in Light Aircraft Crash in Jalisco, Mexico

 

At least seven people have died following the crash of a light aircraft in a remote, heavily forested area of Jalisco, western Mexico, local authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The aircraft, a Cessna 207, was en route from La Parota in the neighboring state of Michoacan when it went down. Jalisco Civil Protection reported the crash site was in an area difficult to access, complicating rescue and recovery operations.

In a statement on social media, Civil Protection confirmed that “preliminary reports” from the scene indicated that seven people had died. Their identities have not yet been released, and authorities are working to confirm further details.

The agency also mentioned that a fire at the crash site was extinguished, and risk mitigation efforts were carried out to prevent additional damage. “We are waiting for forensic investigators to arrive to remove the bodies and rule out the presence of other victims,” the statement added.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with authorities working to gather more information on the incident.

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Oriyomi Hamzat Speaks Out on Ibadan Funfair Stampede, Blames Parents for Chaos

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Oriyomi Hamzat Speaks Out on Ibadan Funfair Stampede, Blames Parents for Chaos

 

Media personality Oriyomi Hamzat has broken his silence regarding the tragic stampede that occurred at a funfair event in Ibadan, shifting blame onto parents for the chaotic situation that led to casualties. In a detailed recount of the incident, Hamzat defended Prophetess Naomi, the event organizer, and highlighted the various challenges faced during the event’s preparation and execution.

 

In his statement, Hamzat shared that he had visited the venue the day before the event to inspect the arrangements. During this visit, he underscored the importance of proper security and crowd management. He emphasized the need for efficient ticketing and insisted on printing 5,500 tickets to manage the expected crowd, noting that the audience in Ibadan might behave differently compared to other locations where similar events had been held.

A Safer Tomorrow: Lessons from a Tragic Event

Despite these preparations, things began to spiral out of control early on the event day. By 4 a.m., parents had already started gathering at the venue, even though the program was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. By 5:45 a.m., Hamzat arrived to find blocked roads and scenes of desperation, with mothers throwing their children over the fence in an attempt to secure entry. Tragically, one child died after hitting his head on the ground when his mother threw him over the fence, assuming someone would catch him.

 

Hamzat criticized the parents’ reckless actions, questioning how Prophetess Naomi could be blamed for such behavior. He expressed disbelief that the responsibility for the tragedy was being placed on the shoulders of the event’s organizer, who had made significant efforts to ensure the event’s safety.

“A day before the funfair, I went to inspect the venue to ensure that all the necessary things were in place. Prophetess Naomi was there and she said the place was more spacious than the venue they originally intended to use,” Hamzat explained. “I asked about the security arrangement, and she assured me that security would be on site by 8 a.m. I told her and the team that Ibadan is different from other places and promised to provide 200 boys who would be handing out tickets to the children. Initially, there were no plans to use tickets.”

He continued, recounting his arrival at the venue early in the morning, where he found the situation already deteriorating. “I arrived at 5:45 a.m. and saw a massive crowd. Roads were blocked, and mothers were already throwing their kids over the fence. The event was scheduled to start at 10 a.m., and security wasn’t due until 8 a.m. I began begging everyone to go home, but they wouldn’t listen. By 7 a.m., the stampede had started.”

Hamzat also revealed that despite anticipating 5,000 children, Naomi had rented 7,000 chairs, as he had advised her to make provisions for mothers who would bring their kids. He further criticized the behavior of some parents, with one woman reportedly bringing 19 children to the venue.

“The stampede occurred because of the actions of the parents, not due to any lack of planning by Prophetess Naomi or her team,” Hamzat said. “How can it be Naomi’s fault when over 2,000 mothers threw their children over the fence as early as 4 a.m.?”

The tragedy has raised serious concerns over crowd management and safety at public events, and Hamzat’s statements have sparked a wider conversation about the role of event organizers and parents in ensuring the safety of attendees.

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