DSS SEARCHES BAWA’S ABUJA RESIDENCE AND EXPANDS ITS INQUIRY TO HIS FRIENDS

The residence and workplace of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the temporarily suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, were searched by agents of the Department of State Services.

The EFCC’s close allies of Bawa were invited by the secret police to testify about alleged mismanagement, misappropriation, and diversion of proceeds from sold assets forfeited to the EFCC during the same week.

Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesperson, declined to comment on the situation on Wednesday when asked to do so.

Bawa, who is currently in the care of the DSS “Yellow House,” Abuja, is being investigated for alleged financial misconduct while serving as the head of the EFCC.

Bawa had been indefinitely removed from his position as EFCC chairman by President Bola Tinubu on June 14. The DSS then hired him.

In front of his wife and kids on Saturday, a search was conducted at his Gwarinpa house in Abuja.

A trustworthy source with knowledge of the operation reported that Bawa’s office was also searched the same day by additional DSS agents who produced a search warrant.

“DSS agents barged into the EFCC headquarters in Jabi on Saturday to search the chairman’s office. However, they displayed a search warrant. Bawa’s residence in Gwarinpa was also searched by another team of DSS agents, who encountered his wife and kids there.

The source stated that “Bawa’s close office associates were also invited for questioning this week and are being looked into on allegations of mismanagement, misappropriation, and diversion of proceeds from forfeited assets sold under Bawa’s watch.”

However, a government source who also requested anonymity claimed that because the investigation was still ongoing, the DSS had not yet brought charges against the troubled EFCC chairman.

Because they are still conducting their investigation to gather sufficient evidence to support their case, the DSS has not yet filed a court complaint against him.

Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC’s spokesperson, did not answer to a question on the development that our correspondent sent him on Wednesday.

While conducting their inquiry, DSS had acquired an ex parte order extending Bawa’s imprisonment in their facility.

According to a government source who spoke to one of our correspondents, the DSS took this action to prevent Bawa from suing to contest his incarceration.