THE Department of State Services (DSS) has released former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, this newspaper can confirm.
Bawa has been in custody since June when President Bola Tinubu suspended him – exactly 134 days ago.
Willie Bassey, Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had said Bawa was suspended as a result of weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.
Former governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, had accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him, an allegation which he denied.
Bassey had said suspension was to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.
Although it was not immediately clear the exact time he was released, a video showed Bawa was welcomed by his wives and children.
Sources familiar with the development told this newspaper that top former and serving government functionaries had pleaded with the President to order DSS to release Bawa.
“Yes, he was released today after much pressure from who is who in the society,” one of the security sources, who pleaded anonymity said.
Another source said he was released after the secret police concluded their investigations with him.
The source also revealed that the embattled ex-EFCC boss refused to hire a legal representative despite his confinement.
When contacted late Wednesday night by News Point Nigeria, the spokesperson for the DSS, and that of the EFCC, Dr Peter Afunanya and Dele Oyewale didn’t respond to enquiries on Bawa’s release.
This newspaper recalls that Bawa’s house and office in the nation’s capital were earlier ransacked by the operatives of DSS after which he also celebrated his last Eid-el-kabir in the secret police net.
