EFCC: I Will Expose The ‘Truth’ And Defend Myself – Magu Explodes

The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has vowed that he will no longer just sit down and allow some people to peddle false accusations against him.

The embattled Magu said every false accusation against him will henceforth, get an appropriate reply.

The suspended EFCC boss made his position known in a statement released by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu where he denied some of the allegations against him including the misappropriation of funds recovered for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Magu’s lawyer added that some of the allegations against him were prejudicial to the panel investigating claims against him.

Naija News recalls Magu is under investigation by a special presidential investigative panel headed by Justice Ayo Salami.

He was arrested on July 6 and subsequently suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari to allow for proper investigation of the allegations leveled against him in a memo by Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the federation.

“Take notice that, our client can no longer fold his hands in the face of these sustained malicious attacks to prejudge him in the public space. Our client will henceforth, point by point reply to all false allegations orchestrated against him in the public space on a daily basis as well as present his comprehensive defense for the world to see,” the statement said.

“This is without prejudice to the willingness of our client to defend himself in the ongoing proceedings at the Presidential Investigation Panel.

“The truth of the matter is that well over N329 billion recovered by EFCC under our client’s watch was remitted directly into NNPC dedicated accounts via Remita under a special arrangement endorsed by NNPC, EFCC and the affected NNPC’s indebted marketers.

“By virtue of the said special arrangement, NNPC had requested formally the EFCC to recover the said amount from the affected NNPC’s marketers who were expected to pay such funds directly to NNPC while NNPC, in turn, confirmed receipt of such payments to EFCC.

“Therefore, EFCC never took custody of any of the recovered funds and so, the question of misappropriation of such funds by EFCC or our client could not have arisen as falsely published,” he added.

The statement from Magu’s lawyer again reiterated the innocence of his client, warning that nobody exposed in the course of the investigation will be shielded from facing the full wrath of the law.

“Our client has never been confronted with any such allegations purportedly arising from the panel’s proceedings. The story attributed to the panel which has become a recurring decimal, is a dangerous attempt to discredit the work of the honourable panel,” he said.

“Investigations were painstakingly conducted by EFCC under our client’s watch. The matter has since been referred for prosecution. Charges have been prepared ahead of arraignment in court.”

“Our client has no interest in shielding anyone found culpable from the long arms of the law. At any rate, time does not run against the state in criminal prosecutions. It is tendentiously wicked to suggest that our client excluded major approving authorities from the criminal process.

“As a matter of fact, one Peter Hena, head of the FIRS coordinator support services group, who allegedly authorized the illegal payment is one of those listed to be arraigned. The case was properly investigated and professionally vetted with our client deploying no influence whatsoever on the outcome.”