By Akinwale Kasali
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is shocked by the now viral allegation linking to collecting money from embattled suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, CP Ibrahim Magu.
After a dignified silence since the probing of Magu by a Presidential Panel, and the allegation that he collected the sun of N4bn from him, Osinbajo distanced himself from the allegation. He is also shocked that his name could be connected to such perfidy.
The VP has also raised the ante a notch higher. He has, in a petition, dragged the publisher of the story which he finds offensive, Jackson Ude, to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
In a petition written on his behalf by his Counsel, Tayo Osipitan, SAN, the Vice President asked the IGP to investigate the N4bn allegation and get to the root of it because he has been presented as a dishonest and disloyal public officer.
If found to be untrue, the Vice President has asked the IGP to “initiate a criminal proceedings” against Ude.
The speculation has always been strong that the Vice President is one of the back bones of Magu in government, and one of the reasons the EFCC, allegedly, turned a blind eye to every petition against APC Chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Osinbajo was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice under the Tinubu Government in Lagos, and, allegedly, his nominee to the Vice Presidential postion, when the position eluded Tinubu.
The source said, “It is not that the VP asked Magu to leave Tinubu alone, but it is given that Magu understands the relationship between the two, and how such a move could embarrass the VP.”
But Osinbajo is shocked that his name could be dragged in such a wicked manner into Magu’s probe.
Distancing himself in a statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the VP dismissed the reports as false and baseless.
He wrote, “With all emphasis at our disposal, let it be firmly stated that these are totally false and baseless fabrications purporting to reflect goings-on at the probe panel investigating Mr Ibrahim Magu. They are indeed completely absurd in every respect.
“Sadly, such mindless, vicious and reckless publications have now become the preferred tool of unscrupulous and reprobate elements in our society who are procured with monetary inducement to peddle blatant falsehood, tarnish the image of upright public officials and mislead unsuspecting Nigerians.”
Akande said Osinbajo would not be distracted by the campaigns of lies and calumny. He said the online publications, being criminally defamatory in nature, have been referred to the relevant law enforcement agencies for investigation and necessary action.
The reports had claimed that Magu told the presidential panel probing him that he gave Osinbajo N4bn after the vice president asked him to release part of the recovered loot.
A very reliable source told this magazine: “Anybody who knows Osinbajo knows that this is a lie from the very pit of hell”.
