Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s newly inaugurated President, has taken the decision to indefinitely suspend the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Abdulrasheed Bawa has been requested to step aside to facilitate a thorough investigation into his conduct during his tenure.
While it is customary for the head of the anti-corruption agency to be replaced when a new president assumes office, the government clarified that this suspension was prompted by “serious” allegations of misconduct attributed to him.
Multiple corruption accusations have been leveled against Mr. Bawa, who assumed the role of EFCC chairman in 2021. However, he vehemently denies all these allegations.
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, a former governor of Zamfara state in northern Nigeria accused Mr. Bawa of allegedly soliciting a $2 million bribe from him. Mr. Bawa firmly refuted the accusation.
Nigeria currently ranks 150th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s corruption perception index, indicating the significant challenges the country faces in combating corruption.
