The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has vowed to resign his appointment should anyone pressure him to violate the rule of law in the course of leading the anti graft agency. 

Mr Bawa made this statement in an interview with state broadcaster NTA, the anti-graft agency said in a statement on Saturday evening. 

Mr Bawa, who has a pending corruption case as revealed by Peoples Gazette in an exclusive story last year, said the anti graft agency under his watch will adhere strictly to the rule of law in discharge of its statutory responsibilities regardless of pressure from anybody. 

The indelible stain on his anti-corruption garment could however impair his determination to resist undue influence from corrupt overlords.

“The Commission under my watch will continue to abide by the rule of law,” Mr Bawa said. “If anybody asks me to do anything contrary to my conscience or against the rule of law, I will resign my appointment.”

The EFCC chair did not further explain who he meant by “anybody”.

Before now, the anti graft agency on different occasions has been involved in a series of illegal operations which negates the tenets of the rules of law. Untoward practices such as the illegal freezing of bank accounts and unlawful arrests have resulted in sanctions with competent courts at some points compelling the EFCC to pay damages to those whose right it has abused. 

Less than three weeks into his appointment, Mr Bawa illegally ordered all bankers to declare their assets relying on an archaic decree from the military era, though he was yet to conclude his asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau as when he made this statement. 

Mr Bawa insisted that bank employees must declare their assets with the CCB because the EFCC will be calling for asset declaration forms of bank employees for investigations.