The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been sent to Kuje correctional centre.
An Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama has convicted him for contempt of court.
The EFCC Chairman was convicted on Tuesday by Justice Chizoba Oji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in relation to the anti-graft agency’s failure to comply with an earlier court order.
In her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Oji held that the anti-graft czar is in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the commission to return to a defendant, a former Director of Operation at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Vice Marshal Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, his Range Rover (super charge) and the sum of ₦40 million.
The EFCC had accused Ojuawo before Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris at Abuja High Court in 2016 of receiving ₦40 million and a Range Rover Sport from one Hima Aboubaka of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.
Justice Oji, in her ruling on Tuesday said
” Having continued willfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison of Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience of the said order made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.”
“The Inspector General of Police shall ensure that the order of this honourable court is executed forthwith.“
Thereafter, Bawa immediately filed an appeal to the court and appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Anti Corruption to defend his agency’s budget.
“Well, we have appealed against it, so we will allow the natural course of law to take its effect,” Bawa said.