Nigeria anti-graft boss in custody after being suspended by president

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has suspended the head of the West African nation’s anti-graft agency for alleged abuse of office, the presidency said Wednesday.

Abdulrasheed Bawa was suspended indefinitely as chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following the “weighty allegations of abuse of office leveled against him,” the Nigerian presidency said in a statement.

Moments after he was suspended, Bawa was taken into custody by the country’s secret police in the capital of Abuja. The move was related to the investigations into his activities, according to Peter Afunanya, spokesman for Nigeria’s Department of State Services.

Appointed in 2021 to lead the fight against the endemic corruption that has stifled the development of Africa’s top oil producer and largest economy, Bawa is the latest official suspended by Nigeria’s new president who took office last month after promising to make good use of the country’s rich resources to improve the lives of millions of Nigerians.

Authorities did not provide further details of the allegations against him and the anti-graft agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As the commission’s chairman, Bawa has been accused of condoning corruption but he has denied any wrongdoing, often saying that “corruption is fighting back.”

Bawa’s predecessor at the head of the anti-graft agency was removed for alleged corruption.