There was drama, on Wednesday at the venue of the ongoing hearing on alleged abuse of Office and Mismanagement of Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances from May 2015 to May 2020 by the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
A human rights lawyer, Mr. Victor Giwa and another unnamed female lawyer were reportedly whisked away by security agents while testifying before the Justice Ayo Salami Panel at the Presidential Villa.
Sources said Giwa was expected to testify against Magu, but made a U-turn when he was asked to confirm that the embattled for anti-graft chief allegedly offered him a bribe of N75 million.
Giwa was still testifying when he was reportedly whisked away to unknown destination. As at press time, the whereabouts of Giwa was unknown.
Before appearing before the panel, Giwa had told Daily Sun that he was being compelled to testify against Magu by some unnamed persons, but added that he turned down the offer.
He added that he had to write to the panel to explain the situation and deny any claim that he was being used to nail the embattled suspended acting chairman of the anti-graft Commission.
Magu has been under fire since early July, when he was compelled to appear before the investigative panel. He was initially detained, before he was released days after his purported arrest.
Magu is being accused of siphoning funds and assets recovered from financial proceeds and using his ‘boys’ to obtain bribes from suspects.
Meanwhile, a businessman has reportedly played a tape recording before the Justice Salami-led panel on how some operatives of EFCC popularly called ‘Magu boys’ demanded a N75 million bribe to be paid into different accounts.
The businessman, Mr. Donald Wokoma of Damijay Integrated Services Limited, had allegedly tendered an affidavit in support of a petition he wrote against ‘Magu Boys’ for extortion before unfreezing his account.