EFCC Reacts To Claim Magu Begged Saraki For Confirmation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described as false the claim that its acting chairman begged former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for confirmation.

Naija News reports that Saraki in his latest revelation said that the boss of the EFCC had visited him in 2016 and begged him to ensure that he was confirmed by the Senate.

Saraki added that he explained to Magu that the Department of State Services (DSS) had written a letter to the Senate accusing the EFCC boss of corruption-related activities and thus recommended that he should not be confirmed.

Reacting in a statement on Sunday, EFCC spokesperson, Tony Orilade, stated that no amount of media campaign against Magu will stop the prosecution of Bukola Saraki.

He said: “We wish to state without any contradiction that the ongoing investigation against the former Senate president and other politically-exposed Persons (PeP) are on course, while Saraki and his co-travellers will surely have their day in court shortly.

“Particularly, of reference is the report ‘Magu begged me to help his confirmation by the Senate, Saraki tells CJ Kafarati.’

“Saraki deviously chose to divert attention from the weighty allegations of financial fraud trailing his eight years stewardship in Kwara and leadership of the Senate.”

The EFCC spokesperson further explained that Saraki was trying to get the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court from transferring his case from Justice Taiwo Taiwo.

He urged the former Senate President to allow the nation’s judiciary to carry out its constitutionally assigned role.

“The commission under Magu has moved on and will not be distracted over mundane issues,” he said.

“Let it be stated in unequivocal terms that the investigation of Saraki’s stewardship, whether as a former president of the Senate or as a former governor of Kwara, has absolutely nothing to do with the non-confirmation of Mr Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the EFCC.

“While the EFCC will not allow itself to be drawn by Saraki to take up issues with him on the pages of newspapers, it is pertinent to once again state in clear terms that the probes being carried out by the EFCC are nothing personal.”