Detained, Magu Says “Kindly Put Me In A Cell, I Won’t Go And Sleep In Any Office; It Is Allah’s Wish For Me”

Why He May Lose Seat

By Gideon Njoku

Chairman of the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, CP Ibrahim Magu, is facing his second day of interrogation before a Presidential Panel, Tuesday.

Magu, on Monday became hunted after being the hunter for five years.

His arrest by Security Operatives, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police, took him and most Nigerians unawares. He was on his way to the Force Headquarters to attend a meeting when he was intercepted. His plea to be allowed to proceed to the meeting was rejected.

The plea may have been on impulse. In the circumstance he found himself, he had no choice. He has been humiliated already.

His Journey To Detention

His interrogation, headed by a retired President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Ayo Salami, and four others, a reliable source told this magazine, lasted for hours – from about 2.00pm to about 10.15pm. His lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, who he called, was with him.

When he eventually came out after the day’s proceedings, he was not allowed home. He was headed to detention at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID.

Stripped Of Security Details; Not An Easy Journey

The first pointer that he was going to be detained was when his Security Details were stood down. He was stripped of them.

A debate, allegedly, ensued on the mode of transportation. A white Hilux was provided to take him to the FCID where he would pass the night. When he was asked to sit in the second cabin of the Hilux, he rejected the offer, and said he preferred to sit in the open cabin. That would have been quite a site to behold.

But a source said Magu wanted the public to see his humiliation. He did not want to be treated differently from any suspect. He wanted to take his case to the public domain.

The debate on where to sit went on for over 20 minutes. Finally, he was allowed to ride in his official car to the FCID.

There, another debate ensued.

He rejected the office given to him to pass the night in.  He said he preferred to be kept in a cell like other suspects.

According to a report in The Nation, Magu sat on a chair, and told them defiantly “I won’t go and sleep in any office. I prefer to be in a cell. Kindly put me in a cell. That is what Allah wants for me. I can’t question God.” It was not confirmed where he eventually passed the night – an office or a cell.

The Allegations Against Magu

A number of allegations had been flying against Magu ever since the 8th Senate, twice, rejected to confirm him, based on indicting reports from the then Director General of the DSS, Mr Lawal Daura.

During the tenure of Mrs Farida Waziri as the Chairman of the EFCC, and  Magu, her staff, his case was also brought before  the Police Service Commission by the FHQs for misconduct. That earned him a severe reprimand from the PSC .

But what brought Magu to this level was an indicting letter, recommending his sack, almost, written against him, to the President, by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Malami is his Supervisory Minister, but they never really got on. The Minister sees Magu as a disobedient subordinate.

Among  other allegations, some of the 22 allegations against Magu include, but not limited to:

*Alleged ownership of four houses abroad by proxy.

*Alleged discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds ( a point former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun had also raised)

*Declaration of N539b as recovered funds instead of N504b earlier claimed.

*Insubordination to the office of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice

*Not providing enough evidence for the extradiction of Diezeani Allison-Madueke

*Alleged late action on the investigation of P&ID, leading to legal dispute

*Not respecting Court order to unfreeze a N7b judgement in favour of a former executive director of a bank.

*Alleged delay in acting in two vessels seized by Navy.

* Alleged favouring of some investigators called Magu Boys.

*Reporting some Judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF

*Alleged sale of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends.

*Alleged issuance of investigative activities to some media, prejudicial to some cases.

Magu’s Humiliation

Reactions have been coming like claps of thunder since the “arrest”  of Magu. The DSS which officers were said to have arrested him were quick to distance the Service from it. Its Spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the Service did not arrest the Acting Chairman of the EFCC. This statement was followed by that of the EFCC which claimed that its boss was not arrested.

The DSS was correct. It turns out that the CSP who led the team which invited Magu to the Presidential Panel came from the FCID.

But opinion is that the manner Magu was intercepted and taken to the old Banquet Hall for interrogation was untidy.

Why, for instance, was Magu not served the invitation to the panel at his residence, or in the office, the previous day?

Since the five members of the Panel were already waiting for Magu before he was brought to them, it means the panel had been constituted, at least, a couple of days earlier.

The questions then are: Why was he not given an earlier notice? Why was he embarrassed along the road?

Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, an unabashed supporter of Magu, and the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against  Corruption, points an accussing finger at Malami. He says it is corruption fighting back. And accuses Malami of working hard to sack Magu from office. He warns that the investigation of Magu could have an adverse effect on the war against corruption. “Be careful”, Sagay told  the President.

But on Tuesday, Sagay distanced himself from the statement, saying that a Board member, Prof. Femi Odekunle, did not speak on his behalf.

What Will Be Magu’s Fate?

It is difficult to say. But pointers are that, for now, he is likely to be suspended from office, pending the outcome of the investigation. His next in command may be asked to oversee the activities of the Commission. But a former DSS Assistant Director,  Dennis Amachree says in Magu’s shoes, cleared or not, he would resign.

Nigerians Blame Buhari, Magu

Many Nigerians say  President Buhari is to be blamed for the fate that befell Magu now.They say the President ought to have removed him from the Commission when the 8th National Assembly refused, twice, to confirm him as the Chairman of the EFCC based on Security reports from the former DG of the DSS.

“Why did the President leave him in an acting position for five years? And why has he not sent his name back to the 9th Senate for confirmation”, asked a commentator on a television interview on Tuesday.

Whatever, opinion is that Magu’s pride has been bruised, and so is the anti-corruption war of the Buhari Government.