Former EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has revealed that law enforcement agencies were among the beneficiaries of the massive fraud surrounding Nigerias defunct petrol subsidy regime. In his new book and a recent interview on Arise TV, Bawa disclosed that Nigeria lost an estimated $450 million to subsidy scams between 2006 and 2012.
According to him, some oil marketers involved were prosecuted and jailed, with about 80% of the stolen funds recovered. However, he emphasized that the corruption extended beyond marketers to include political actors and law enforcement, who, he said, often turned a blind eye due to being compromised.
Bawa also pushed back against the international narrative of relooting the loot, urging Nigerians and the global community to trust the countrys anti-corruption institutions. He criticized Nigerians tendency to internalize negative foreign perceptions without question.
On the recurring controversies surrounding former EFCC chairpersons, Bawa, who served from 2021 to 2023, dismissed such concerns as routine public opinion, insisting that criticism often follows leadership, regardless of merit.
