Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been in the Department of State Services’ detention for 33 days.
Bawa was taken into custody by the secret police on June 14 just after President Bola Tinubu had suspended him.
In a statement announcing Bawa’s suspension, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s Director of Information, Willie Bassey, cited “weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him” as the rationale for the President’s choice.
The DSS has not provided any information regarding the precise offenses for which Bawa was detained, the depth of the investigation, or whether charges would be brought against him in court after his arrest.
Bawa was suspended on June 14 and shortly after, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya issued a statement claiming that Bawa had responded to an invitation from the DSS.
Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been invited by the Department of State Services. Bawa just arrived a short while ago. The invitation is related to some inquiries into him, according to the DSS spokeswoman.
Afunanya did not return many calls on Monday seeking an update on the situation. Additionally, he did not reply when Punch reporter texted him on his mobile device.
Pelumi Olajengbesi, a human rights attorney based in Abuja, commented on Bawa’s ongoing imprisonment by claiming that the DSS was breaking the law by keeping Bawa in detention without charge.
Without a doubt, it is unlawful and a violation of the detainee’s fundamental rights that Bawa has been held by the secret police for more than three weeks.
“Illegality cannot beget another illegality. The DSS should immediately release Bawa to rejoin his family members without further delay, or charge him to court to face charges preferred against him by the Federal Government. Anything outside these two options is alien to law and won’t stand.”
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