EFCC: Magu’s Latest Demand To Invite Buhari’s CoS, Minister Rejected

The Presidential panel probing the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has reject a request by Magu.

Naija News understands that the former EFCC boss had asked the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel to invite President Muhammadu Buhari‘s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari; the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas.

He also requested the invitation of a former Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde; the Director-General of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Modibbo Hamman-Tukur; EFCC’s Acting Director, Directorate of Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Management, Mr Aliyu Yusuf; an EFCC lawyer, Bala Sanga; and a former EFCC official, Isa Dongoyaro.

The Salami-led panel had last week drafted a subpoena addressed to the naval chief, minister and others to appear, The Punch reports.

It was however learnt that the panel made a U-turn and decided not to invite them anymore following the refusal of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to honour a summons.

A lawyer to Magu, Mr. Tosin Ojaomo, accused the panel of dening Magu a chance to properly defend himself against the allegations leveled against him.

According to Ojaomo, “Justice Salami refused to subpoena those we asked him to serve. He had drafted subpoenas to the chief of naval staff, minister of defence, chief of staff to the President, the DG NFIU, the AGF and Lamorde.

“I am sure he refused to issue the subpoenas because of the way the AGF refused to come forward. So, we have closed our defence and I am sure the report would be submitted anytime from now.

“Magu was forced to defend himself without any witness of his coming forward. But no one accused Magu of stealing. In fact, those who have pending cases in court only asked that the charges filed against them be withdrawn.”

The panel, which sat for three months, include Salami (North-Central); Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Michael Ogbezi (South-South); a representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Muhammad Babadoko (North-Central); and Hassan Abdullahi from the Department of State Services (North-Central).

Others are Muhammad Shamsudeen from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (North-West), Douglas Egweme from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (South-East) and Kazeem Atitebi (South-West), who serves as the secretary.

President Buhari had given the seven-man panel 45 days to round off its activities and submit its report while inaugurating it on July 3, 2020.