Contempt of court: We've appealed judgement -- EFCC chairman, Bawa

By Editor

The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC, Abdurasheed Bawa said the Commission has appealed the contempt of court rulings by an FCT high court on him.

It will be recalled that Justice Chizoba Oji of the FCT High Court in a ruling held the chairman was in contempt of the orders of court made on Nov. 21st 2018, where it directed the commission to return a Range Rover and the sum of N40 million to an applicant.

The court which viewed it as wilfully disobedience held that Bawa should be  said having continued wilfully should be committed to Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

By reacting to a question by journalists during the 2023 budget defence with the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Bawa said the judgement had been appealed, saying the law should be allowed to take its natural cause.

"Well, we have appealed against it, so we allow the natural course of law to take it's effect", he said.

On its budget, Bawa appealed to the committee to increase funding for EFCC to enable it fight corruption effectively.

He emphasized to need to complete its academy to properly train and retrain staff.

"We have gotten quite a lot and of course, you know the provisions that relevant agencies should open confiscated and forfeitured properties account. We have opened that, and of course we are remitting all that belongs to the federal government into that account. Of course other victims of crimes are being paid based on the recoveries that were made on their behalf. 

"Yes of course, that is it. We are building a brand new EFCC Academy and we need funding for that. Last year N3 billion was allocated and this year nothing was allocated for it, and that is why we are pleading to members that we need to have this new EFCC Academy because of course we have to learn, as fighters of crime we have to be ahead of these criminals and the only way you can do that is by training and re-training and re-training and re-training again. It can never end.

"Of course we have a very purposeful 9th National Assembly that we have a very good working relationship with them. I believe that, they are going to heed to our request", Bawa said.