The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the boast by suspended acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim
Magu, that he would be cleared and reinstated despite the allegations
against him, is a huge affront on the integrity of the ongoing inquest
by the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Investigative Panel on the
activities of the EFCC.
The party said Nigerians were shocked when counsel to suspended EFCC
acting Chairman, Wahab Shittu, boastfully declared that he has Magu’s
instruction to inform the public that “he will be reinstated back to
office”.
Nigerians are unease that such assertive statement by Magu’s lawyer
holds more than meet the eyes and portrays the Presidential Panel as
well as the Buhari Presidency as having compromised the probe.
Our party hopes that this is not a case of corruption fighting back in a
frantic effort to shield accused persons from prosecution.
Already, the statement by Magu’s counsel has heightened public concerns
that the probe have become a sham and that the allegations against Magu
will eventually be swept under the carpet despite demands by Nigerians
to prosecute the suspended EFCC boss in a court of competent
jurisdiction.
The PDP wonders if Magu’s counsel is now informing Nigerians that the
activities of the Presidential Panel, as well as the indicting memo by
the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami, are all drama to facilitate Magu’s clearance at the Senate.
The party notes that the details of the allegations by the Attorney
General of the Federation against Magu are in the public domain,
including alleged discrepancy in the financial records of the EFCC
funds, alleged stealing of funds recovered by the commission, alleged
sale of property recovered by the EFCC, details of alleged acts of
insubordination, among others.
This is in addition to issues of alleged violation of rules, abuse of
investigation processes, manipulation of court procedures by the EFCC
under Magu, which has allegedly become a partisan vehicle for
persecution, harassment and extortion against innocent Nigerians.
There are also allegations that the EFCC under Magu was more interested
in securing conviction and not justice; for which innocent citizens were
harassed with trumped-up charges, denied bail, allegedly made to make
statement in custody without the services of their lawyers and convicted
on media trial even before being allowed to defend themselves in court.
Moreover, there are also insinuations in the public space that the EFCC
under Magu was harassing certain judges to get conviction in cases, in
addition to the manifest selective persecution in which no member of the
current administration, including those who have been openly indicted
for corruption, have been prosecuted by the EFCC.
The statement by Magu, through his counsel, is therefore a direct slap
on the integrity of our justice system and the fight against corruption
in Nigeria.
What Nigerians and indeed the global community expect is for the Federal
Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the African Union (AU)
Anti-Corruption Champion, to take immediate steps to arraign the
suspended EFCC Chairman before a court of competent jurisdiction to
defend and clear his name over the very weighty allegations that have
been brought against him.
Anything short of this will only signpost a huge compromise in the
matter.
