Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
After 134 days, the Department of State Services (DSS) has formally confirmed the release of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa.
In a brief message, Mr Peter Afunanya, the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications of the secret police, said the former anti-graft agency boss was let go.
However, in the terse statement made available on Thursday in Abuja, the DSS spokesman failed to give details about the release but noted that Mr Bawa was allowed to rejoin his family on Wednesday night.
“SSS confirms release of former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, a few hours ago, today, Oct. 25,” he said.
The former EFCC boss had been in the detention of the DSS since June 14 after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.
Having been in detention for more than four months now, Mr Bawa also purportedly resigned his chairmanship of the EFCC.
However, the federal government has not made public the resignation letters of these officers and neither have they been allowed to publicly speak on the matter.
Analysts say Mr Bawa’s incarceration from June 14 to October 25 without being charged is unacceptable as it goes against the canons of democracy. Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, does not permit such executive overreach.
Mr Bawa was suspended “to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office”. The action followed “weighty” allegations of abuse of office levelled against him. He was appointed by the immediate past President, Mr Muhammadu Buhari.
On October 13, President Tinubu approved the appointment of Mr Ola Olukoyede as the new Chairman of the commission for a renewable term of four years in the first instance.
