DSS under pressure to release findings on detained ex-EFCC boss

In a statement issued Thursday by CAACIN spokesperson, Comrade Ahmed Aliyu, the group also demanded that the Department of State Services (DSS) make public its investigation report following Bawa’s five-month detention in 2023.

“It is not possible to detain a man of his caliber for five months, for nothing. Nigerians can’t afford to let these be swept under the carpet,” Aliyu said.

The demand comes days after another group, Citizens Forum for Transparency and Integrity (CFTI), alleged Bawa held secret meetings in London with opposition figures to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The CFTI accused him of plotting to use former EFCC allies to target serving ministers. CAACIN also criticised the continued presence of Bawa’s appointees in the Commission.

“It does not make any sense to still keep the appointees and close allies of a man who was severally accused of embezzlement, fraud, bribery, and other corrupt practices,” the statement added.

Bawa was suspended by President Tinubu in June 2023 and arrested by the DSS on the same day.

Allegations against him include spending $300,000 on a personal trip to Mecca and demanding a $2 million bribe from former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle.

CAACIN insists the EFCC must act swiftly to restore public trust.

“The Commission should purge itself by showing those Bawa brought in the way out,” Aliyu said.