Fred Itua, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja and Chukwudi Nweje

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, yesterday, appeared before a panel at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to answer some questions.

His invitation to the panel is coming barely a week after Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, wrote a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari seeking his removal as boss of the anti-graft Commission.

While there was earlier claim that Magu was arrested, it was gathered later that operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) served him the invitation while he was driving out of the office yesterday to attend a meeting at the Police Force Headquarters.

Clarifying the matter, Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman said Magu was never arrested.

“The DSS wishes to inform the public that it did not arrest Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the EFCC, as has been reported by sections of the media. The service, has since today, July 6, 2020, been inundated with enquiries over the alleged arrest.”

Similarly, spokesman for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, in a statement, said Magu voluntarily reported at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr.  Ibrahim Magu, on Monday,  July 6, 2020, honoured an invitation by a presidential panel reviewing the activities of the EFCC, at the Banquet Hall wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“He was served the invitation to the panel while on his way to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for a meeting. The EFCC’s boss was neither arrested nor forced to honour the invitation. A member of a legal team from the EFCC is also with him on the panel,” the statement read.

Security bars journalists from panel’s sitting venue

Journalists covering the Villa were asked to leave the State House Conference Centre, and stay away from the vicinity for the day.

The journalists had gone to confirm if indeed the EFCC boss was being grilled by a panel set up to investigate allegations of infractions against him.

The journalists met five DSS operatives dressed in black and seated just outside the conference centre at about 3.20pm.

While the security operatives did not stop the journalists from entering the conference centre, attempts made by the newsmen to access the media centre upstairs were thwarted.

A DSS official with a Villa accreditation approached the newsmen and said: “They said you people should excuse the use of this place for today.”

Malami’s memo

Multiple sources familiar with the development told Daily Sun that Magu’s recent face-off with Malami may have prompted his invitation.

The AGF, in a memo, reportedly listed Magu’s ‘22 sins.’

He also urged President Buhari to take action on the allegations.

PDP seeks thorough investigation 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked Buhari to allow  a thorough investigation of the allegations against Magu to prove  the genuineness or otherwise of the anti-graft war.

The PDP in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan said Nigerians were already aware that Magu had been invited  for questioning.

The opposition party stated the “fact” that the EFCC boss was accompanied by an attorney is an indication that the invitation was beyond a routine.

“Our party, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are keenly monitoring the development and expect the Buhari Presidency to muster the courage to carry out a comprehensive investigation and make its findings available to the public.

“Now that Magu has been pulled in for investigation, the Federal Government should preserve the integrity of the office of the Chairman of the EFCC by ordering him to step aside while investigators take charge of every activities of the office to forestall destruction of evidence as well as unnecessary interferences in the matter.

“Moreover, with the allegations and investigation, Magu has lost the moral rectitude to continue to preside over the anti-corruption agency.

“He should step aside until he proves himself innocent,” it stated.

Oshoma react

Also reacting, Lagos lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, said the development exposed the many failures of the Nigerian system.

He blamed the scenerio, which he described as “the hunter becoming the hunted” on the excessive powers vested in the office of the EFCC chairman

“There are two issues here, you said the police system is corrupt and compromised, so you set up an anti-corruption agency, but you bring the same police to head the anti corruption agency.

“The EFCC has been around for 15 years now, are we saying that we do not have capable hands to handle the chairmanship of the EFCC that we have to keep recycling policemen to head the EFCC.

“Magu cannot be investigator, prosecutor at the same time and still charged with managing recovered assets, the tendency for you to want to own some of the recovered assets will be there. If you recall, when Magu granted an interview that he recovered about N798 billion, Kemi Adeosun wrote a memo to him that they only have about N13.3billion, so there is a shortfall in his own figure. Not long ago, the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF) also wrote to the president asking for the sack of the EFCC chairman, there is no smoke without fire. So, I think Magu should be made to account for all of these.

“If we have an EFCC that is well structured without police interference, and where the man who investigates is different from the man who recommends prosecution and the the assets management charged to another agency, there will be checks and balances. But when you leave all these functions to one man, you will definitely have abuse of power,because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, that is why you have these allegations,” he said.

Adeniran faults action

Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), said the action of the DSS is not unexpected given the “no love lost” relationship between Magu and the DSS and the recent letter by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) recommending Magu’s sack.

He said the investigation of Magu should have been carried out by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) rather than the DSS to ensure fairness.

“I am not surprised by the DSS action, given the recent letter the supervising Minister, Abubakar Malami wrote to Buhari recommending the sack of Magu.

“Perhaps, this is his way to finally get him out. Magu had always said that nobody is above the law, so he should face his accusers and clear himself of the allegations against him.

“However, I think the job of investigating Magu should have been that of the ICPC and not the DSS.

“We know there is a no love lost relationship between Magu and the DSS, we know what they did during his confirmation hearing at the last National Assembly.

“There is need for proper investigation of the allegations against Magu to ensure that it is not corruption fighting back.”