President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this in a statement on Tuesday.
Adesina said the appointment is subjected to the confirmation of the Senate.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to confirm Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
“In a letter to President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, the President said he was acting in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of EFCC Act 2004.
“Bawa, 40, is a trained EFCC investigator with vast experience in the investigation and prosecution of Advance Fee Fraud cases, official corruption, bank fraud, money laundering, and other economic crimes.
“He has undergone several specialized trainings in different parts of the world, and was one of the pioneer EFCC Cadet Officers in 2005. Bawa holds a B.Sc degree in Economics, and Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy,” the statement read.
Mohammed Umar, a director of the anti-graft agency has been leading the commission in acting capacity since Ibrahim Magu, its former Chairman, was arrested in July.
Magu, a Commissioner of Police, was suspended from office following allegations of abuse of office and corruption levelled against him.
He denied all the allegations but a presidential panel led by former President of the Appeal Court, Justice Ayo Salami, probed him and recommended his dismissal from the EFCC.
The panel, which submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari in November, also asked the president to appoint a new EFCC chairman in an interim position for two years.
It asked Buhari to look outside the police force in appointing the next chairman.
All previous heads of the EFCC have been police officers.