A coalition of pro-democracy and human rights groups has urged the international community to place a visa restriction on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, for flouting court orders.
The group said this in a statement by its spokesperson Ibrahim Bakori yesterday in Abuja.
But EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren maintained that those accusing Bawa of having a penchant for flouting court orders are mischief makers.
The EFCC spokesman said this was clearly the central theme of the plot by the civil society group.
The coalition’s statement reads: “We urge the international community to place visa restriction against Bawa and members of his cycle for the dwindling rating of the outfit by global bodies, as being deeply mired in violation of human rights, selective anti-corruption campaign, high-handedness and disobedience to court orders.
“Bawa’s EFCC is at the moment occupying a damnable position in the chart of government agencies violating court orders on the African continent.
“It evokes questions of why it is the same Bawa of EFCC associated with crude tactics of fighting corruption, selective prosecution and in certain instances persecution of suspects, is the person refusing to obey the laws of our land, undermining himself and exhibiting gross disobedience to the orders of Nigerian courts.
“It is high time the Presidency saw the dangers posed to the laws of our country when unelected government appointees are acting with above-the-law swagger, particularly if the daylight contempt of court hanging around his neck becomes a feature among government officials!”
