Magu Shielded Governors, High Profile Suspects From Prosecution – Salami Panel

The presidential panel that probed the former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has accused him of shielding two Northern Governors from prosecution.

Naija News reports the presidential panel set up to investigate Magu revealed this in the final report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2020.

It is understood that the final report has now been forwarded to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a panel to produce the white paper will soon be set up.

The panel, headed by the former president of the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami, was set up to probe the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020.

In the report, the panel said the EFCC refused to initiate a suit to forfeit the assets and money recovered from Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, after the conclusion of the investigation in 2018.

The panel said the EFCC, under Magu, investigated Ishaku and his associates for misappropriating N25 billion, part of which was used to buy a large expanse of farmland in the Mambilla area of the state while some were found in his wife’s bank accounts.

It said all properties recovered from Mohammed; former Governor of Katsina state, Ibrahim Shettima; former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; and Haruna Momoh, an associate of former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by the EFCC were reported to still be in possession of the suspects.

According to the report, Magu failed to give approval for the arraignment of Stella Oduah, senator and former minister of aviation, over the alleged fraudulent diversion of a N3.9 billion airport procurement contract fraud after the final investigation report in March 2018.

In addition, the report said Societe D’Equipment Internationale, owned by one Aboubakar Hima, was awarded a contract by the office of the national security adviser to the tune of $930 million, €9 million and N350 million to supply military equipment to the Nigerian army, air force.

Hima was said to have diverted the money to acquire real estate in Nigeria and the Niger Republic, while some vice-marshals in the air force were also said to have benefitted from the illicit fund.

To further frustrate the investigation of Societe D’Equipment Internationale, in 2016, Magu allegedly dispersed the investigators involved “under the guise of routine transfers” and left no one to continue the investigation.

The panel said Magu also admitted to issuing a letter absolving the company of any wrongdoing, while the suspect fled Nigeria and escaped justice.