According to sources, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has handed over more than N580 million to Nigeria's secret police.

According to sources in the Department of State Services (DSS), which has had Bawa in custody since June, the former anti-corruption boss has paid back more than N580 million that was fraudulently obtained when he was in charge of the organisation.

This occurs while the DSS is under pressure to either free Bawa or accuse him of the crimes that the secret police's investigation has determined he committed.

Following "weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him," President Bola Tinubu removed Bawa from his position as chairman of the EFCC indefinitely in June "to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office."

Bawa was detained by the DSS on June 14 hours after the president had suspended him, and he has stayed there ever since.

Because Bawa was being held by the DSS without being charged properly, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) threatened to challenge President Tinubu's administration in August.

Additionally, on Wednesday, Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the government of the federation, criticised President Tinubu's administration for continuing to hold Bawa and Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, without charge or trial.

As it is also unacceptable that political parties are used to intimidate and harass people for expressing their opinions in public, Lawal said in his statement that it is indefensible to keep the EFCC Chairman and the CBN Governor in custody for lengthy periods of time without or before trial.

One of the sources said Over N580 million has been recovered from the imprisoned former chairman of the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

Bawa was reportedly transferred from the secret police's main office to a private facility in June, in order to have complete control over him after he refused to write any statements while being held.

It was discovered that Bawa refused to record any comments while being held in detention because he informed investigators that the DSS had no authority to hold him without charges.

An important security source had claimed, "They've transferred Bawa from DSS headquarters to one of their private facilities to have entire control over him after he refused to write statements asked from him.

The EFCC chairman in custody has declined to make comments and told the DSS that they have no jurisdiction to hold him without grounds for doing so.

He was also accused of protecting former governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, while assisting him in pursuing his rivals.

He has steadfastly refused to work with DSS investigators thus far after his detention, according to another high source.