Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been convicted by an Abuja High Court for failing to comply with a court order mandating him to return a sum of N40 million and a Range Rover belonging to Rufus Ojuawo, a naval officer.

Chizoba Oji, the presiding judge, made the order against which Bawa was convicted on November 21, 2018.

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While delivering the contempt of court order on Tuesday, the court specifically directed the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, to take custody of Bawa pending the time he complies with court order.

“The Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21st 2018 directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja to return to the applicant his Range Rover (=supercharged) and the sum of N40, 000,000.00,” he said.

“Having continued wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.”

To give effect to the order, the court mandated Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police, to ensure that the order is executed with immediate effect.

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This conviction came after a motion filed by Ojuawo explaining Bawa’s refusal to comply with the earlier ruling mandating the EFCC Chairman to return the Range Rover.

The EFCC had arraigned Ojuawo on two counts before Justice Muawiyah Idris of the High Court of the FCT in Nyanya in 2016.

Ojuawo was accused of corruptly receiving gratification to the tune of N40m and a Range Rover Sport from one Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.

But Justice Idris discharged and acquitted Ojuawo back in 2018 on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

Wilso Uwujare, the EFCC spokesman, has confirmed that the commission would appeal the ruling against Bawa.