Buhari Govt Still Paying Magu As A Police Officer – Minister

A new report has emerged in respect to the suspension of former acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, on Tuesday disclosed that former EFCC boss is still on the payroll of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government as a police officer.

Dingyadi disclosed this while speaking on Channels Tv’s ‘Politics Today’ on Tuesday.

The former acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency was rejected twice by the Senate between 2015-2020.

President Buhari, however, suspended Magu alongside several others in July 2020 for allegedly mismanaging funds of the commission, an allegation which he denied.

A judicial panel led by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami probed Magu for three months.

However, the report of the panel and it recommendations were not made public to date.

President Buhari in February 2021 replaced Magu with Abdulrasheed Bawa as chairman of EFCC.

Dingyadi on Tuesday while giving update on the case said, “The matter is investigated and the man is still in the service, he is still in the Force Headquarters, I don’t want to expatiate at this material time as to what is happening to the report of the committee. What I know is that the report has been submitted to Mr President and as far as I know, no communication has yet to be submitted to the ministry or the police force on this matter.

“So, we are waiting for the final outcome and the public will be informed as and when the need arises.

“Of course, he is still a police officer even though he is under suspension. He used to be the chairman of the EFCC but he is no longer one.

“But that does not mean he is not on the payroll of the Federal Government; he is still a civil servant, he is still a police officer until a final decision is taken on the matter, I don’t think I should say anything more than I have said on this matter now.”