The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler, over an alleged N5bn fraud perpetrated under his watch.
Fowler, a long-time ally of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is currently being interrogated at the Lagos office of the EFCC.
FLASH: Former Federal Inland Revenue Service @firsNigeria Chair, Dr. Babatunde Fowler arrested by EFCC @efccnigeria over alleged Alpha Beta and LIRS fraud pic.twitter.com/SDRg0v45Fk
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 2, 2020
SaharaReporters recall that nine senior officials of the agency were detained by the EFCC over alleged multi-billion naira fraud in 2019.
Fowler was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 after a query for worsening tax revenues since 2015.
He was also accused of a lavish lifestyle, bankrolling extravagant parties and concerts in Lagos, poor corporate governance structures at the FIRS, poor audits at the FIRS, high handedness in office, diversion of funds, brazen corruption and awarding contracts to stooges and cronies.
