Daniel Bwala, a lawyer and aide to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, says the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has never investigated a single case because he does not have an investigative background.

Bwala made this statement in an interview on Channels TV while discussing the qualifications required for the position of the EFCC Chairman.

He emphasized that the position must be held by an individual with experience in law enforcement or security.

He said, “This is the point; there is base line. The base line is that the person must come from security or law enforcement agency of the government, the reference is the government not private sector.

“The security is one that is covered by the National Security Agency Act which comprises DIA, NIA and SSS. Law enforcement compromises both EFCC, the police, the NSCDC and the rest….He didn’t have power to hold gun, he never investigated a single case because he did not come as an operative.”

However, Monday Ubani, a former Chairman of the Section of Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) of the Nigerian Bar Association, disputed Bwala’s argument, insisting that Olukoyede had the requisite experience and was qualified for the position.

“A lawyer for 22 years and having worked either five or six years in law enforcement agency has garnered that ‘cognate experience’ we are talking about since the Act itself was not specific. If you look it, it didn’t mention that you must continually be in a security agency. The man is qualified,” Ubani said. (Daily Trust)