New EFCC boss, Bawa, assumes office, says fight against corruption will be intelligence-driven (Photos)

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC,) Abdulrasheed Bawa on Friday March 5, 2021 officially assumed duties with a pledge to steer the organization towards proactive and intelligence-led investigations.

He said he would create a full-fledged directorate of intelligence that would spearhead intelligence gathering, which will ensure proactive response in the fight against corruption.

According to a statement by the commission’s head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Bawa said “We are going to digitalize our processes, and we are going to create a new full-pledged directorate of intelligence to enable us gather intelligence so that we will be proactive in our fight against economic and financial crimes; and by so doing, we will also provide the government with necessary quality advice that will lead to good governance”.

Reiterating his remarks before the Senate at his confirmation hearing, the new EFCC boss promised a paradigm shift in the agency’s approach to anti-graft war, from fighting corrupt persons to fighting corruption. “There is difference between fighting corruption and fighting corrupt people; and going forward, we are going to be proactive in our approach in the fight against economic and financial crimes,” he said.

He assuring stakeholders of continued partnership, the new chairman also pledge to prioritize staff welfare, stressing that he is going to work on it, and also to ask the government for necessary support. “We know the problems and God willing, we are going to solve these problems,” he assured.

READ ALSO: Witness narrates how EFCC under Magu re-looted N1.63tn assets recovered from Maina, others

Earlier in his handing over remarks, the out-going Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Umar Abba congratulated Bawa for a well-deserved appointment and wished him well in his new assignment.

“I am particularly delighted to be handing over the affairs of the Commission to Bawa. He is an officer with whom I have enjoyed close working relationship and who contributed immensely to our collective efforts in the war against Economic and Financial crimes. I have no doubt that he will do well and enjoin all staff to accord him the same support that I have received over the last seven months, “he said.

Umar, disclosed that under his watch, the Commission prosecuted 804 cases and obtained a total of 583 convictions. He added that substantial recovery running into billions of Naira was made, while various assets were equally forfeited through interim or final Order of Court.

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