TheCable

Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says “corruption fighting back” is the reason his predecessors left office under controversial circumstances.

Forty-year-old Bawa was in February named as the EFCC chairman to replace Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the anti-graft commission.

But Magu was not the only chairman of the commission who had a dramatic exit.

Nuhu Ribadu, first chairman of the commission, was removed from office in 2007 following allegations of bribery.

Farida Waziri, who was chairman from May 2008 to November 2011, was removed from office by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ibrahim Lamorde who took over from Waziri was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 before Magu was appointed.

While speaking during the weekly ministerial briefing at the presidential villa on Thursday, Bawa said those the EFCC deprived of illicit wealth will naturally see them as enemies.

He said such persons, who have been stopped and made to relinquish illicitly acquired assets, always go all out to embarrass those who stood in their way.

The EFCC chairman said some persons have begun a campaign to soil his image using the media.