Scores of Anti-corruption organisations and constitutional lawyers in Nigeria yesterday submitted a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, protesting what they described as brazen disobedience of court orders by Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa. They alleged reckless politicisation of the commission under his watch and his continued stay in office, in spite of a court order committing him to prison for contempt.

In a statement signed by the spokesperson for the over 130 CSOs, including more than 20 constitutional lawyers, Olufemi Lawson, the activists disclosed that they had also submitted a copy of the petition to the Inspector-General of Police.

This, according to them, is “to intimate the Police authorities that a convict cannot be allowed to be walking freely without being reined in as ordered by the Courts.”

They called on President Buhari to immediately suspend Bawa to restore confidence in the capacity of the commission to truly fight financial crime; direct the IGP to effect his arrest, in line with a court order; and commission an enquiry into the workings of the EFCC, its present engagements and happenings within the agency.

The activists said being anti-corruption crusaders themselves, they could not stand by while the EFCC boss allegedly made a mess of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, noting specifically that his modus operandi was reportedly “causing serious concerns and disgust among the top hierarchy of the commission.”