Investigation of APC leader, Tinubu ongoing— EFCC Chairman
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that a former Lagos State Governor and National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, is still under investigation.
Bawa stated this in an interview with ThisDay on Sunday, saying the probe could expectedly take a long time.
Bawa said, “You asked me a question earlier about arresting people before investigation and now you are saying why didn’t we arrest Tinubu? Why didn’t you just say ‘arrest him?’
“Investigation is ongoing. When you are investigating matters like this, they don’t end in a day. Thousands of investigations are going on, on a daily basis.
“You understand? You know you are from the media. After you will say we are doing media trial.”
Bawa was said to have requested Tinubu’s assets declaration form when he was the head of Lagos Zonal Office.
SaharaReporters had on March 4 reported that Tinubu’s EFCC probe is part of a wider plan by the Aso Rock cabal around President Muhammadu Buhari to drown the APC chief’s 2023 presidential ambition.
Although Tinubu has not formally declared, it is an open secret that his godsons and supporters have been drumming nationwide to rally round Tinubu to actualise the 2023 presidency.
Top sources in the presidency had revealed to SaharaReporters that the cabal would intensify the probe around Tinubu and his godsons because they wanted Tinubu to abandon the presidential race before the end of 2021.
SaharaReporters claimed it understands that one of the masterminds of the several probes around Tinubu and his allies is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who is eyeing the 2023 presidency.
“Tinubu’s case came from revelations from Babatunde Fowler. Fowler was originally arrested over an attempt by the cabal to cage Vice President Yemi Osinbajo completely. There were allegations that Osinbajo did some deals with Fowler. Fowler started revealing how money was being shipped to Tinubu and Alpha Beta.
“While shaking up Fowler, he confessed that he took from Federal Inland Revenue Service N12 billion for himself. Of course, Dapo Apara’s (former Managing Director of Alpha Beta) petition also sealed Tinubu’s fate. They want Tinubu to abandon the presidency before the end of 2021,” the top source had revealed.
“Malami’s house in Gwarimpa has become Mecca. They want to get Tinubu out of the way,” the source had added.
The EFCC was reported to have earlier written to the Code of Conduct Bureau, requesting copies of Tinubu’s Asset Declaration form.
A copy of the request letter had revealed that the investigation into Tinubu began last year after the removal of erstwhile Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
The letter marked CR/3000/EFCC/LS/Vol4/322, dated November 6, 2020, had been signed by the then Lagos zonal head, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is now the Chairman of the EFCC.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish the commission with the outstanding requested information of Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu. This request is made pursuant to Section 38(1) and (2) of the EFCC Act 2004,” the letter had partly read.
-SaharaReporters
