President Bola Tinubu and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, engaged in a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday.
This meeting took place just a day after President Tinubu instructed the Department of State Services (DSS) to vacate the Ikoyi office of the anti-graft commission, which had been blocked by the DSS.
Chairman Bawa arrived at the Presidential Villa a few minutes past 2 pm and was promptly escorted to the President’s office complex.
While the purpose of the meeting was not publicly disclosed, it is understood that it was related to the reported disagreement between the EFCC and the DSS regarding the ownership of the Ikoyi office.
In a proactive move on Tuesday, President Tinubu directed the DSS to immediately vacate the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos. This directive was issued after reports emerged that DSS officials had stormed the office, located on Awolowo Road, preventing EFCC officials from accessing their workplace.
Tunde Rahman, in a statement, clarified that the President took action after being informed about the incident.
The DSS operatives had arrived at the office at around 7:00 am on Tuesday and had refused to leave, despite attempts at dialogue between the two agencies.
This development followed an ongoing rivalry between the DSS and the EFCC concerning the ownership of the building. The EFCC expressed astonishment at the manner in which its sister agency denied its operatives entry into the office.
However, the DSS denied the EFCC’s claim, stating that it was “not true.” In response to the situation, the President emphasized the need for amicable resolution if there were any issues between these important government agencies.
