Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu says all looted funds and assets from Nigeria recovered so far by the agency are only a tip of the iceberg.
He stated that there is much more stashed away in the country and in different parts of the world, adding that Nigeria has not seen anything yet. Magu told Channels Television on Friday that his determination to recover all stolen funds and secure the country’s posterity remains unshaken.
“The corrupt people are fighting us in all angles on a 24-hour basis so our main challenge is the corruption fighting back using all sorts of instruments but we are trying our best, it has also heightened our commitment, our determination in the fight against corruption.
“We are not the only agency involved in the fight against corruption so I want to appeal to other law enforcement agencies who are also charged in fighting corruption to put more effort and support us in the fight against corruption but I am telling you what we have discovered is not unusual and it’s the tip of the iceberg.
“We are following all the recovered funds and we intend to recover them all and cause the perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law. Some of them are outside the country and we are following all the modalities, procedures in getting them repatriated back to the country.” Magu stated.
Mrs Patience Jonathan, Nigeria's ex First Lady, said the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, wrote a letter to the British High Commission in Nigeria, asking the British Government not to issue her with a visa.
According to Punch Metro, Patience said this in a petition written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) & Co. which was addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.
Patience said the British Government subsequently investigated her and found her not wanting and thereafter issued her with a visa.
The petition, which was signed by G.I. Abibo (SAN), read in part, “In February 2017, the EFCC through its acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, made a spurious report against our client to the United Kingdom authorities and other international bodies – all in a grand design to forestall the renewal of her visa and other travel documents.
“The allegations against our client by the EFCC were duly investigated by the UK authorities and other international bodies who found the reports baseless and thereupon issued the visa and other travel documents to our client.”
Patience said the EFCC had gone after her relatives including her older brother, Chief Aseminaso Kalama, for no just cause.
Besides, Mrs Esther Oba, Patience’s relative, had also been declared a person of interest by the commission for allegedly operating a bank account with $429,381.87 (N135,255,289.05) for the former President’s wife.
Patience said the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had also joined the EFCC in intimidating and harassing her family, adding that the three agencies had searched her properties at least five times.
She added, “On November 3, 2016, the EFCC physically raided and attacked the premises of our client and her relations situated at 2 Igbeti Street, Maitama, Abuja, in the absence of the occupants of the house, carting away valuable items.
“On November 30, 2016, the same premises were raided by the officials of the NDLEA with a lorry load of over 50 operatives under the guise of searching for drugs kept in the house. This raid was carried out in the absence of the occupants of the said house. Our client’s house was broken into and vandalised.
“On January 4, 2017, the EFCC again broke into the said house claiming to be looking for foreign currencies stashed therein. This was done in the absence of the occupants of the house and without any search warrant. The operatives raided the house and took away whatever they fancied.”
The anti-graft agency commenced investigation on Patience in March 2016. Although she had never been invited by the commission, several bank accounts linked to her with a total sum of about N15bn had been frozen while properties worth about N3bn had been seized by the commission.
All attempts to speak with the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, proved abortive as he did not respond to repeated calls put through to his telephone.
Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC), on Tuesday vowed to fight corruption with the last drop of his blood.
Magu reaffirmed the determination of the commission to trace and recover all ill-gotten wealth and bring the perpetrators to book while addressing a massive anti-corruption rally in Abuja,
He said:
I stand before you today and make a solemn pledge never to give up the fight. Those who dread to be punished for their corrupt deeds should take notice that the EFCC is watching. It is time to weep for those who believe they can perpetually hold down Nigeria as a cow and milk her to death.
It is time to weep for supposed men and women of honour who pose as anti-corruption fighters but when they think we are not looking, they plot and fund the collapse of the anti-corruption war. It is time to weep for those who want to be perpetually rich at the expense of our poor masses. Victory is ours because the days of impunity are gone.’’
Newsmen report that the rally was part of a nationwide anti-corruption walk staged by the EFCC to spur the masses into joining the anti-graft war and it was planned to coincide with the second anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on May 29.
There was a massive turnout of officials and other stakeholders including representatives of the Inspector-General of Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, civil society organisations and student unions.
Magu said he was touched by the massive turnout, which he described as an eloquent testimony that Nigerians are fully in support of the fight against corruption.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, also urged Nigerians to take up the fight against corruption.
He assured the EFCC of the support of Nigerian workers and citizens in the fight against corruption.
The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday disclosed that the introduction of the whistleblower policy by the Federal Government has led to the recovery of about N17 billion by the Commission.
Magu gave this hint while presenting a paper titled “Before Corruption Kills Nigeria,” at the 62nd Award Night of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels, Abuja.
In the paper, which was presented on his behalf by Dr. A. Bello, Magu said,
“apart from several other recoveries running into several billions of naira, the recent whistleblower policy, has led to the recovery of N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730 by the EFCC.”
The EFCC boss, while reiterating the Commission’s commitment to combating corruption called on the media to support the ongoing fight against corruption as that was the only way the battle can be won.
“The EFCC is committed to pursuing its statutory mandate and to rescue the Nigerian state and its people from being killed by corruption. We call on the Media and well meaning Nigerians to join us in this crusade. With the government and people of Nigeria behind the EFCC, we shall surely be victorious,” he said.
Magu also revealed that the EFCC recorded 62 convictions in the first quarter of the year.
In his remarks, the National President, NUJ, Abdulwaheed Odusile, pledged the Union’s support for the EFCC and commended the Commission for its committed efforts in combating corruption of all manners in Nigeria.
He urged the agency to continue carrying out its operation without fear or favour.
“While we commend the EFCC for its efforts in fighting economic crimes and corruption, we urge it to be diligent and painstaking in its assignment, and continue to operate without fear or favour. The media will continue to support their efforts in this regard”, Odusile pledged.
The NUJ president also condemned the rejection of Magu as the substantive chairman of the EFCC by the Senate and called for synergy between the legislature and the executive in the interest of the nation.
“We condemn the undue politicization of the confirmation of the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the EFCC by the National Assembly.
We call on the executive and the legislature to work together in the interest of the Nigeria people. The cat and mouse game in their relationship is adversely affecting the state of the nation and the welfare of the people,” Odusile said.
A former president, Goodluck Jonathan, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; and anti-corruption chief, Ibrahim Magu are amongst some high-profile personalities that are expected to be questioned by a presidential panel investigating the mysteries surrounding the over N13 billion recovered from an apartment in Lagos last Wednesday.
The panel will also question the suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayodele Oke, and his predecessor, Olaniyi Oladeji.
The owner of the building where the money was found and the EFCC official who led the operation will also be questioned by the three-man panel, which was convened on Wednesday.
The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, who is also a member of the investigating committee is also expected to brief the committee on what he knows following reports that Mr. Oke briefed him on the NIA operation prior to the discovery of the money.
President Muhammadu Buhari named Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to lead the committee, with Attorney General Abubakar Malami and Mr. Monguno being the remaining two members, the presidency said in a statement.
The constitution of the panel came as the presidency announced the immediate suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and Mr. Oke for their respective roles in the grass cutting scandal and the over N13 billion recovered in Lagos respectively.
“The president also ordered a full-scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, has made a claim,” presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said Wednesday.
Mr. Adesina’s statement appears to indicate that the presidency has already accepted the NIA’s argument that the money belongs to it.
The investigative panel was tasked to unravel the
“circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds,” Mr. Adesina said.
In a separate probe, the same committee is also to look into the allegations against Mr. Lawal in the grass cutting scandal.
THE IKOYI RECOVERY
Operatives of the EFCC, acting on a tip-off on April 12, said they found $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 hidden inside an apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.
The funds were valued at over N13 billion based on prevailing exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
But the development, which could have been another success in the ongoing campaign against graft, became problematic for the Buhari administration following conflicting reports about the ownership of the money.
A day after news of the recovery gripped the country, the EFCC approached the Federal High Court, FHC, to secure a forfeiture order.
Muslim Hassan, a judge at the Lagos Division of the FHC, granted the anti-graft agency’s request and gave any potential claimant until May 5, else the entire N13 billion would be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.
On April 14, Mr. Oke told newsmen the NIA concealed the money in the apartment for undisclosed operations the foreign intelligence office was conducting.
Our sources said Mr. Oke had approached Mr. Magu to order EFCC operatives who broke into the apartment to back down while the operation was still underway, but the EFCC boss declined his pleas.
But the security chief would not comment on the purpose of the fund, telling this newspaper: “You don’t expect me to tell you that.”
On April 15, Governor Nyesom Wike said the money belonged to Rivers State, having allegedly been plundered by his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi.
“We have facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government,” Mr. Wike said. “The Federal Government must return our money.”
But Mr. Amaechi, now Minister of Transport, strongly denied the allegations and threatened to sue those who publicly accused him of being the owner of the money.
The uncertainties notwithstanding, President Buhari directed that the money be returned to the CBN and ordered preliminary findings into the matter.
Source
PremiumTimesNG
The Senate leadership is considering two options to overcome constitutional hindrances being projected by administration officials not to seek fresh Senate confirmation for Mr. Ibrahim Magu, as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Following the second Senate rejection of Mr. Magu, administration officials and sympathisers had cited section 171 of the constitution to buttress the claim that Mr. Magu does not need Senate confirmation.
The provision stipulates that the President shall have the power to make appointments, including ambassadors, permanent secretaries, and heads of extra-ministerial departments.
The contentious provision now in dispute, Section 171 (4) states:
“An appointment to the office of Ambassador, High Commissioner or other Principal Representative of Nigeria abroad shall not have effect unless the appointment is confirmed by the Senate.”
The provision specifically does not make mention of heads of extra-ministerial departments as requiring Senate confirmation, a development that has prompted some in the legal community, including Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), to assert that Magu or heads of extra-ministerial departments do not need Senate confirmation.
Responding to the development, a senior official of the Senate said the Senate was pondering the option of going to the Supreme Court or altering that provision.
Noting the options, he said: “One is to amend it and make Section 171 subject to any act of the National Assembly. Two, is to go to Supreme Court to show that that section does not preclude the National Assembly from making laws that would subject certain appointments to Senate confirmation.
“If you look at section 5 of the constitution, which defines the powers of the National Assembly, it makes those powers subject to Acts of the National Assembly.
“So we can go and advance all the arguments at the Supreme Court and get it settled or just amend the constitution to avoid wasting our time.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that Ibrahim Magu will continue as EFCC Chairman even as Senate had rejected Magu's nomination twice based on DSS reports. Osinbajo said without Senate's approval Magu will become substantive chairman of EFCC.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that despite the Senate’s rejection Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Presidency had resolved to retain him as the head of the commission.
Premium Times reports that Osinbajo said there is no law in the Nigeria Constitution stopping the Presidency from representing the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, as substantive chairman.
Osinbajo, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made this known while speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa.
Tori.ng previously reported that the Senate recently refused to screen presidential nominees for the position of the resident electoral commissioners, saying it would not do so until Mr Magu is removed as Acting EFCC Chairman. The Senate had twice rejected the president’s request to confirm Mr Magu. Osinbajo added that the Presidency is fully in support of Magu emerging as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.
He said:
“It is up to the Senate to make their judgement and it is up to us say what we want to do. If our candidate is rejected, we can re-present him.
"No law says we can’t re-present him. And again, there is the other argument, whether or not we need to present him for confirmation and that’s a compelling argument from Femi Falana.
“His argument is that under the constitution, section 171, and if you look at that section, it talks about the appointments that the president can make.
"They include appointments of ministers, ambassadors and heads of agencies such as the EFCC. In that same section 171, the constitution rightly said that certain appointments must go to the Senate such as ministerial and ambassadorial appointments.
“Those of heads of agencies like the EFCC do not have to go to the Senate. That’s what the constitution says. But the EFCC Act, which of course as you know is inferior, says that EFCC chairman should go to the Senate for confirmation.
"I am sure that even a pocket book lawyer knows that when a legislation conflicts with constitution, it’s the constitution that prevails.
“I agree with Mr Falana that there was no need in the first place to have sent Magu’s name to the Senate, but we did so and it was rejected by the Senate, but I believe that it can be re-presented. I don’t think there is anything wrong about the fact that Senate has rejected him.
“Senate has acted in its own wisdom to say ‘no, we don’t want him’, and we can say ‘this is our candidate… we like the gentleman and we want him to continue.’
Speaking on report of the Department of State Services that indicted Magu, Osinbajo said President Muhammad Buhari could have interfered with the DSS report if he wanted to, but that he decided to hear Magu’s own account, after which he felt convinced to retain the anti-graft czar.
Osinbajo said:
“We should commend the President for not interfering with what the DSS said. The DSS came up with a report and the man who was accused refuted it. He explained and gave a reason.
“When that happened, the President looked at what Magu said and what the DSS wrote and he said: ‘I am satisfied with what Magu said. He then decided to retain Magu as the nominee for EFCC. I don’t see any reason why that should be contested. The President has not interfered with what the DSS said.
“If he wanted to interfere, he would have ordered the DSS to keep quiet. He didn’t do that, but he said: ‘I don’t think the DSS report is meritorious enough to withdraw his nomination.
"The President reserves the right to say: ‘this is who I want.’ “I’m fully in support of Magu as the EFCC chairman just as the President is.”
Exactly three months after they declined to confirm Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Senate yesterday affirmed their December 15, last year’s position on the EFCC’s acting chairman.
The Red Chamber relied on three-paragraph memo from the Department of State Services (DSS) dated March 14, affirming the Services’ earlier report on Magu.
Below is the Report:
In August 2008, following a search at his residence during the tenure of Farida Waziri (AIG/rtd) as the commission’s chairman, some sensitive EFCC documents which were not supposed to be at his disposal were discovered. He was subsequently redeployed to the police after days of detention and later suspended from the Force.
In December 2010, the Police Service Commission (PSC) found Magu guilty of “Action prejudicial to state security, withholding of EFCC files, sabotage, unauthorised removal of EFCC files and acts unbecoming of a police officer,” and awarded him severe reprimand as punishment.
Notwithstanding, sequel to the appointment of Ibrahim Lamorde as Chairman of the EFCC in 2011, he made the return of Magu to the EFCC a top priority. Both men had worked together at the commission when Lamorde served as Head of Operations of the agency. Magu remained a top official of the commission until he was appointed to succeed Lamorde.
Magu is currently occupying a residence rented for N40 million, at N20 million per annum. This accommodation was not paid for from the commission’s finances but by one Umar Mohammed (Air Commodore/rtd), a questionable businessman and ally of subject who has subsequently been arrested by this service.
For the furnishing of the residence, Mohammed enlisted the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to award a contract to Africa Energy, a company owned by the same Mohammed to lavishly furnish the residence at the cost of N43 million.
Investigations show that the Acting EFCC chairman regularly embarks on official and private trips through a private carrier, Easyjet, owned by Mohammed.
In one of such trips, Magu flew to Maiduguri, alongside Mohammed and a third generation bank chief, who was being investigated by the commission over complicity in funds allegedly stolen by the immediate past Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke.
Furthermore, the EFCC boss has so far maintained a high profile lifestyle. This is exemplified by his preference for First Class air travels. On 24th June, 2016, he flew Emirate Airlines’ First Class to Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj at the cost of N2, 990,196. This is in spite of Mr. President’s directive to all public servants to fly Economy Class.
Investigation also revealed that Magu parades a twin personality. At one level, he is the czar who has no friends, no favourites and is ready to fight corruption to a standstill. However, with a key friend in the person of Umar Mohammed (Air Commodore/rtd), a controversial businessman, he has betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the present administration.
Whereas Magu portrays himself as very secretive, he has fostered a mutually beneficial relationship with Mohammed who, by his confession, approaches ‘clients’ for possible exploitation, favours and associated returns. This was facilitated with official secrets divulged by Magu and from which dealings he is believed to have been drawing considerable benefits.
This was evidenced by the number of official and classified documents he made available to his associates, especially Mohammed.
After a search of Mohammed’s premises, a forged letter of the Office of the Vice President, dated 20th May, 2016, was recovered. The letter was a fictitious investigation report from Vice President to Mr. President, requesting for approval to commence further probe into a matter allegedly involving Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum.
Attached to the letter were two EFCC letters dated 13th April, 2016, and another 24th March, 2016, addressed to the vice president being investigation reports on the activities of Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Dumebi Kachikwu. Similarly recovered during the search were information on assets and personal details of Kachikwu.
Also, following the arrest of three former Airforce chiefs by EFCC, namely, Alex Badeh, Umar and Adesola Amosu from whom huge sums of money and property were recovered, Umar and Badeh were arraigned in court.
It was only after the arrest of Mohammed by this service that the EFCC hurriedly arraigned Amosu. Mohammed later confessed that he never wanted Amosu tried, describing him as his former boss and he saw in Magu, a willing accomplice.
Furthermore, findings revealed that in a bid to settle some personal scores, subject placed one Stanley Inye Lawson on a Security Watch Action, while in actual fact, Lawson was working in the interest of the Federal Government. However, the action was later expunged following the discovery that Lawson was falsely accused by Magu for personal reasons.
The circumstances surrounding Magu’s return to EFCC at the instance of the former chairman, Lamorde, and their close working relationship ever since is a clear indication of his culpability in the allegations of corrupt tendencies of the Lamorde-led EFCC.
To cover his tracks, Magu uses only his police cronies to execute operations. This, coupled with discoveries that such police cronies have acquired a lot of landed property, lends credence to the questions about his integrity.
In the light of the foregoing, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the present administration.
Defending himself before the Senate yesterday, Magu promptly fired back that the DSS lacked integrity to indict him. He insisted that he did not know how the house he was living in was rented.
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