The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has told suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, that he’s not responsible for his detention. Magu was arrested on Monday, July 6, 2020 to answer questions before a Presidential Panel about his stewardship of the anti-graft agency. He has been detained ever since at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, while his questioning continues. Magu, through his counsel, wrote the IGP last week to grant him bail based on self-recognisance. However, in a reply, Adamu told Magu’s counsel he’s not being held by the Police, but by the Presidential Panel. He told Magu to redirect his bail request to the chairman of the panel for appropriate action, in the letter dated July 14, 2020. Magu, a Commissioner of Police, has denied all allegations against him, and expressed his sadness at being treated like a “common criminal”. He faces accusations of misappropriations of funds, and the illegal disposal of assets recovered from corruption cases. Magu has been the EFCC’s acting chairman since 2015, with his appointment rejected twice by the Senate due to a damaging report written by the Department of State Services (DSS). The DSS report had accused him of sabotage, unauthorised removal of EFCC files, and acts unbecoming of a police officer.
The Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA) has released its own report on how Ibrahim Magu headed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before being suspended as the agency’s acting chairman.
Magu who was accused of being unable to account for 332 out of the 836 recovered real estate property in March 2018, was also accused of turning the EFCC into a “glorified police station” for alleged selfish motives.
The panel which was set up by President Buhari to look into the activities of the EFCC under Magu, alleged that he seconded police officers to EFCC officials in spite of the massive recruitment of police officers, carried out by the commission in recent years.
The report partly read “The blatant display of arrogance and acquisition of illicit wealth has turned the EFCC into a glorified police station.
“Despite massive recruitment of officers and men in recent years by the (suspended) acting chairman at the EFCC, he is still seconding police officers to the EFCC because he is comfortable with his fellow officers to carry out his illicit activities.
“He does not have any exit strategy for the police even though the EFCC officers are more experienced in the investigation of economic and financial crimes.”
The properties alleged to have been illegally acquired as well as the bank accounts of those individuals serving as fronts for Magu were also published in the report.
This was disclosed today 6th of July by the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba. The examination which was earlier scheduled for April this year, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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