Swift Change at EFCC: New Acting Chairman Appointed Shortly After Bawa’s Suspension

Mr Abdulkarim Chukkol has been appointed as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended Executive Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa.

Remember that, following serious allegations of abuse of office levelled against him, Bawa was suspended on Wednesday and ordered to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations in the Commission pending the outcome of his investigation.

However, in a new development on Thursday, the EFCC announced that Mr. Chukkol is the new Acting Chairman of the Commission in a statement shared on its official Facebook page.

Chukkol is described as a consummate and vastly experienced investigator who specialises in cybercrime and money laundering.

Chukkol previously served as the Commission’s Director of Operations.

“Following the Federal Government’s suspension of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa as Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, June 14, 2023, Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol has stepped in as Acting Chairman of the Commission,” according to the statement.

“Prior to this new position, he was the Commission’s Director of Operations.”
Mr. Chukkol, a pioneer member of the Commission’s staff and an illustrious member of the EFCC Cadet Course One, is a consummate and vastly experienced investigator specialising in cybercrime and money laundering.

“In the Commission, he served as Head of the Advance Fee Fraud and Cybercrime Sections of the Lagos and Abuja Zonal Commands between 2011 and 2016, as the pioneer Commander of the Uyo Zonal Command in 2017 and as the Commander of the Port Harcourt Zonal Command in 2020.”

“Chukkol has participated in several special operations with international law enforcement organisations and maintains close relationships with agencies such as the FBI, UK National Crime Agency, US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), US Secret Service, Australian Federal Police, Dutch Police, German Police, South African Police, and others.”

“The acting EFCC Chairman has collaborated closely with other governments to develop legislation and infrastructure for law enforcement operations.” He represents key Government regulatory, law enforcement, prosecution, immigration and customs, financial intelligence, consumer protection, and trade and competition bureaus dealing with mass marketing-related issues from Spain, Nigeria, Belgium, Europol, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States at the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group.

“He has participated in a number of courses, seminars, and workshops on public corruption, advance fee fraud, and other economic and financial crimes both locally and internationally, including one at Oxford University in the United Kingdom in 2022.”

“Over the years, his work and initiatives have earned him several awards and commendations both locally and internationally, including the EFCC’s “Most Outstanding Award in Operations” and the United States Department of Justice’s “Outstanding Performance Award,” among others.

“The acting EFCC Chairman holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Maiduguri (2000), as well as a Post Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia in the United States and a Graduate Diploma in Cybersecurity and Spectrum Management from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute in Washington, DC.”

“He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, the European Centre of Security Studies in Germany, and the Nigerian War College.”