Nigeria’s Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved 40-year old Abdulrasheed Bawa as the chairman of the nation’s main anti-corruption body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Until the approval by a voice vote, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee was the regional head of the EFCC in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
During the brief screening exercise by the Senate, Bawa told members of the upper legislative chamber that his 16 years at the EFCC had prepared him well for the top job.
“I am versed in the investigation of advance fee fraud, money laundering, public sector corruption and other financial crime-related issues,” he said during the confirmation.
Buhari suspended the previous EFCC Chief, Ibrahim Magu, last year after allegations that he had diverted funds recovered by the agency into private pockets, charges Magu’s lawyer has denied.