Some Civil Society Organisations have been accused of sponsoring campaigns and protests against Abdulrasheed Bawa, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The allegation was made by the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, during a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Recall that some individuals have taken to the streets to request the removal and arrest of Bawa since Saturday.
Uwujaren said, “The EFCC wishes to raise the alarm about the activities of an amorphous group of so-called Civil Society Organizations who have recently embarked on a campaign to discredit the person of the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and incite the public against the commission.
“The group, through press conferences and staged street protests, have been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.”
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The spokesperson alleged that the group, in a bid to pitch the public against the chairman of the agency, have claimed that Bawa disobeyed court orders.
He said the protesters have no interest in the fight against corruption, adding that their allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman was an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements.
He added, “Information available to the commission indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the commission and have been mobilized and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country, until he is removed from office.
“It is significant that this group found its voice after the EFCC launched an investigation into the mindless looting of the treasury of one of the states. This same group shouted that the commission lacked the power to investigate the theft of the state’s resources.
“Their latest dance in the market square came a few hours after family members of a sitting state governor were arraigned at an Abuja court for allegedly stealing the state’s funds.”
Uwajaren said the Nigerian populace believe in EFCC’s fight against corrupt individuals in the country.
“The spectre of rented crowd, rented CSOs, etc. are blights in our social fabric and manifest demonstration of how deep-seated corruption has permeated every sector of our society.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the EFCC will not be distracted by this campaign of calumny as we believe that this agenda will fail.” Uwujaren said.