The Fear of AbdurRasheed Bawa is the beginning of wisdom and uprightness. The thieves/ wicked are afraid perpetually even when no one is after them. The honest man is always as brave as lion even when he is bearing no weapon other than his loyalty to truth and power of knowledge of the laws and love for his people.
The fraudsters, money launderers, corrupt occupants of palaces, business organizations and high offices will like to run hate campaigns against officers like AbdulRasheed Bawa. It is always suicidal to try to change an age long corrupt system. For those who have built their estates and empires on the prevailing rots will definitely react viciously and fight dirty like swine rolling in the gutters.
They use lies, propaganda, blackmail, chaos, direct and coded bribery and bare faced violence as tools to cover their tracks and protect their loots. These are the typical challenges that upright patriotic officials like AbdulRasheed Bawa are faced with. No doubt Nigeria as a fast developing country needs urgent and total cleansing from the debilitating tradition of corrupt practices which have been elevated to a state of national custom.
This horrible ghost has stalked her people everywhere in the world. It has badly shaken the stability of the Nigerian nation, degraded her development and prestige.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was established by the Nigerian Federal Government to cleanse this Augean stable. But this evil has grown powerful horns and tough muscles to tear to pieces those who would dare to challenge it.
In this battle for national deliverance, AbdulRasheed Bawa, a 42 years young man was appointed by President Mohammed Buhari to lead the battle, like David against Goliath, Bawa is not shaking and he is not looking back nor caring after his own skin.
An exemplary officer, Bawa, an excellent detective, financial crime tracker and prosecutor has grown and progressed through the ranks to the very top of the anti–graft commission. Hence, his appointment is not an act of favour but that of merits, competence and principled values.
He is bravely stepping on very big toes to achieve the objectives of his commission, the almighty EFCC, which he was appointed to lead!
He is the first chairman of the EFCC that has lived all his working life inside the commission’s disciplined environment. He is the man from within unlike his predecessors who were dragged in from other organizations to head the anti– graft agency.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Bawa was born on the 30th April, 1980, a native of Jega LGA, Kebbi State. Bawa is well educated for this task. He got his secondary school certificate from Government Secondary School, Owerri, in 1997, Bachelor of Science in Economics from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy from same university.
He studied Bachelor of Laws at the University of London. His training on financial crimes investigation was also advanced by the United States of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
AWARDS
He is a recipient of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Merit Award (2020), a US Federal Bureau of investigation (US Department of Justice) Recognition Award (2019) for facilitating collaboration between EFCC and the FBI which has resulted in a mutual fight against Economic and Financial Crimes on an international scale.
Bawa is certified by Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS).
CAREER PROGRESSION
AbdulRasheed Bawa had a steady rise in his career. Hence, he is well qualified for the current position he is holding as the Head of the EFCC.
From Assistant Detective Superintendent (2004) to Deputy Detective Superintendent (2007) to Senior Detective Superintendent (2010) to Principal Detective Superintendent (2013) to Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent (2016).
Bawa’s outstanding fight against financial crimes and corruption has been fierce, hence, his consistent promotion.
Bawa at various times was Head, Advance fee fraud section team (the first, EFCC Regular Detective to be appointed a Team Head), Abuja Zonal official; Head, Counter Terrorism and General Investigation and Pension Unit, Lagos Zonal Office, Ibadan Zonal Office (comprising Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Kwara states), Zonal Head Port Harcourt, Zonal office (Comprising Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia States), and Head, Capacity Development Division EFCC Academy, Abuja, a position he held until his appointment as EFCC Chairman.
CASES INVESTIGATED BY BAWA
A total of 2,254 corruption cases were investigated by AbdulRasheed Bawa between February 2021 and December 2021 alone. They include high profile grafts, theft, money laundering, corruption and abuse of office.
And against all odds, blackmails, intimidations, fake accusations to all sorts of mischiefs and propaganda. 2,220 cases (98.49%) convictions were secured of the huge numbers. Only 34 cases representing 1.5% were discharged by the courts in the period mentioned here. The cases covered 14 Zonal offices which are – Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Gombe, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Sokoto and Uyo. Each of these has between two to four states under its administrative structure.
Bawa’s performance is as outstanding as that of Late Dr (Mrs) Dora Akinyili of the NAFDAC. We can remember that our Amazon, Lady, Dr Mrs Dora Akinyili, was several times faced with situation that seemed like certain instant death. She would bravely ignore those direct threats to her life in great unwavering patriotic spirit. Those are the similar circumstances that Bawa, the current Head of the EFCC faces today.
In 2022, the monetary worth of forfeitures obtained from several convictions are in billions of Naira and Foreign currencies. And there are still over 10 billion expected from the 2022 convictions insight.
Asset recoveries from January to December 2022 range from, 24 personal effects, 517 automobiles, 3631 Electronics, 347 Plots of Land, 2 ware houses, 1 Event center, one commodity market, 3 shopping malls, 250 Tons of Littniunm, 27 Motorcycles, 3 lounge containers, 2 factories, 1 hotel, one university, 20 vessels, 115 Real Estate properties, 4 shops etcetera and billions of digital currencies.
HIGH PROFILE CASES PROSECUTED
Among the high profile cases prosecuted include the ones concerning the former 1st Lady of Nigeria, Patience Ebele Jonathan, Former Minister of petroleum, Diezani, Alison – Madueke involving billions of Naira, Dollars and Properties, Alhaji Aliyu Muazu former Niger State Governor, Jamb and Pension heads, Notorious Cyber Criminals, Oil thieves and Unscrupulous Politicians. These are those who are afraid of Bawa.
With this unassailable profile, the promoters and beneficiaries of corrupt practices conspiring to destroy the peace, unity, development and future of Nigeria are panicking and are hell bent on bringing down upright people like Bawa. But Bawa is not going to bow to their devilish antics. He will not disappoint the trust repose in him by the president, Mohammed Buhari and above all he is determined to protect his honour, National interests and prestige and the future of the younger generation of Nigerians.
He believes that good will always triumph over evil. Corruption is evil.
He is committed to achieving for Nigeria the standards reached by countries like, Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, UK, USA, etc.
Comrade Funsho Mojuba, activist and Social Commentator wrote in from Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.
