Mompha mocks Bawa over suspension

Social media personality, Ismailia Mustapha popularly known as Mompha, has mocked suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.

President Bola Tinubu suspended Bawa “to allow an investigation into the allegation of corruption and abuse of office”.

Reacting to this, Mompha, a well-known EFCC suspect, mocked the embattled anti-graft agency’s czar.

He took to the comment section of an Instagram post and dropped laughing emojis, indicating his pleasure over the predicament of Bawa.

Mompha has had a long running battle with Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption agency.

He is due to appear before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court Sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on July 3, 2023, over an alleged N6bn fraud trial.

On January 12, 2022, the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned Mompha alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, failure to disclose assets and property, possession of documents containing false pretence and use of property derived from unlawful act.

One of the counts reads: “Ismaila Mustapha, Ahmadu Mohammed (at large) and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, sometime in 2016, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to conduct financial transactions to the tune of N5,998,884,653.18 ( Five Billion Nine Hundred and Ninety-eight Million Eight Hundred and Eighty-four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-three Naira Eighteen Kobo), with the intent of promoting the carrying on of specified unlawful activities to wit: obtaining by false pretence.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

The EFCC had, at the proceedings of June 10, 2022, informed the court that Mompha was in possession of another passport aside the one submitted to the court, as part of his bail conditions and that he had used same to travel from Ghana to Dubai on April 11, 2022 via Emirates Airlines in violation of the court order.

Consequently, Justice Dada had revoked the N25 million bail variation granted to him, and also issued a bench warrant for his arrest over his failure to appear in court.

The EFCC had also declared him wanted.