Gbenro Adesina
The Federal Government has made its position known on the ongoing investigation of the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The official spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Shehu Garba stated that, “Magu was not immune – and regardless of the obvious embarrassment that potential acts of wrongdoing by him, given the office he held, may appear for the government”, this administration would not cover up his wrongdoing.
Speaking on the travails the suspended EFCC boss is passing through, he said no other administration in the history of Nigeria would have brought into the light and public domain the allegations against Magu.
He said, “What is however important is that there must be accountability and transparency and our people must realize that they would be held to account”.
The allegations levied against Magu include discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds, declaration of N539 billion as recovered funds, instead of N504 billion earlier claimed, insubordination to the Office of the AGF, late action on the investigation of P&ID, leading to legal dispute and and failure to respect court order to unfreeze a N7 billion judgement in favour of a former executive director of a bank.
Others include failure to provide enough evidence for the extradition of Diezani Alison-Madueke, delay of action on two vessels seized by the Navy, favouring of some investigators referred to as Magu Boys, reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF, sale of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends and issuance of investigative activities to some media prejudicial to some cases.
Garba stated, “Under this President and Government, this is our mantra and guiding principle. There are no sacred cows, and for those who think they have a halo over their heads, their days are also numbered”.
“There is no better indication that the fight is real and active than the will to investigate allegations in an open and transparent manner against those who have been charged to be custodians of this very system”, he concluded.
However, Magu has complained against the unfortunate ways and manner, in which his case is being handled, frowning that he was being treated like a common criminal.
In a letter written on his behalf by his counsel, Wahab Shittu to Justice Ayo Salami, the Chairman of the Committee trying him, Magu lamented that he has not seen the petitions containing the allegations against him or the Committee making him to know their terms of reference.
The letter reads, “Mr Chairman, since the 6th of July when our client honoured your invitation, he has been consistently applying to the Committee to be given the petitions containing the allegations of conspiracy, corrupt enrichment, abuse of power/office, which request has not been honoured or obliged till date”.
