Abdulrasheed Bawa (born April 30, 1980) is a Nigerian detective and law enforcement agent who served as head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from February 24, 2021, until June 14, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu removed him due to corruption charges. He replaced the commission’s acting Chairman, Umar Mohammed Abba. He served as the anti-graft agency’s Deputy Chief Superintendent before his appointment.

Bawa was nominated as substantive Chairman of the EFCC on February 16, 2021, and was confirmed by the National Assembly as Executive Chairman on February 24, 2021, officially succeeding Mr Ibrahim Magu, the Commission’s former acting Chairman.

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Abdulrasheed Bawa biography

Abdulrasheed Bawa was born in 1980 and is from Jega, Kebbi state. In 1991, he graduated from Model Primary School, Birnin-Kebbi Road in Sokoto, and in 1997, he completed his secondary education at Government Secondary School in Owerri. Bawa earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Sokoto’s Usmanu Danfodio University in 2001. He earned a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the same university in 2012 and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of London.

Career

Abdulrasheed Bawa joined the EFCC as an Assistant Detective Superintendent (ADS) in 2004. He was appointed in October 2015 to lead the commission’s investigations into Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, and her allies. He has participated in the prosecution of advance fee fraud, official corruption, bank fraud, money laundering, and other related offences. The youngest head of the EFCC to date. He received training from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

On June 14, 2023, President Bola Tinubu terminated Bawa from his position as Chairman of the EFCC for abuse of office.

Theft allegations

In September 2020, Peoples Gazette published an exclusive report detailing how Bawa stole and sold dozens of petrol-bearing trucks confiscated from suspected looters, auctioning them off to his proxies at ridiculous prices while in charge of the Port Harcourt office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

According to the report, Ibrahim Magu, the commission’s then-acting chairman, apprehended Bawa and kept him for several days. Bawa was then relieved of his duties in Port Harcourt and assigned to the agency’s training school in Abuja.

When he was nominated for the role of Chairman of the EFCC following Magu’s departure, civil society organisations denounced the candidacy and urged the Senate of Nigeria to reject it. During the Senate confirmation hearing, Bawa denied selling seized assets in Port Harcourt.

On February 17, 2021, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) issued a statement denying that the Chairman-designate (now substantive), Abdulrasheed Bawa, was arrested and detained by the agency under former Chairman Ibrahim Magu for illegally selling 244 forfeited trucks to proxies in Port Harcourt.

The Commission further noted that Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa was never arrested or detained by the former acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu. The statement, signed by the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Ewujaren, stated that “Mr Bawa was never arrested or detained for the sale of any assets.”

As zonal Head of the commission’s Port Harcourt Office in 2019, Bawa’s responsibilities did not involve asset sales, as the commission has a full-fledged Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, which handles such matters. “For the avoidance of doubt, the disposal of finally forfeited trucks in the Port Harcourt Zonal Office through public auction was conducted after the exit of Bawa as Zonal Head”, according to the statement. The EFCC contended that it was unreasonable for him to be indicted for an auction that he did not supervise.

What are the Cases investigated?

During his tenure as the EFCC’s zonal head for the Portharcourt and Lagos offices, he successfully investigated and testified in the prosecution of numerous cases, resulting in convictions and the recovery of looted funds. From 2015 to 2019, he oversaw the investigations of Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, which resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars and properties.

His rise to national prominence in 2021 came as a result of his appointment as the Chairman of Nigeria’s EFCC, and he was listed in the same year among Nigeria’s Under 50 Leaders in Public Service.

Abdulrasheed Bawa wife

There is no information about Bawa’s wife, as he keeps his private life a secret

Abdulrasheed Bawa net worth

AbdulRasheed Bawa’s predicted net worth in 2025 is $1.5 million. His primary source of income is his government pay and allowances, which are supplemented by speaking engagements and advising responsibilities. AbdulRasheed Bawa’s influence extends beyond his current position as EFCC chairman.