The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
has debunked rumours that its Acting Chairman, Mr
Ibrahim Magu, has been removed from office. A national
newspaper, the Guardian, on Saturday reported that
President Muhammadu Buhari removed Magu.
“Not true”, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson
Uwujaren, said in response to an SMS enquiry by the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday
morning.
The rumour of Magu’s removal has also hit the social
media and some traditional media websites in the early
hours of Saturday.
Quoting anonymous sources, The Guardian said that
Ibrahim Magu, may have finally been removed from
office.
It said a source said Magu’s redeployment back to
Nigerian Police Force (NPF) was to pave way for a fresh
person to be presented by President Muhammadu Buhari
as the nominee to head the anti-graft agency before the
Senate.
It said it gathered that to make the situation look like a
routine exercise, some senior Police officers would be re-
deployed by the Police hierarchy to resume as
conventional Police officers.
It was equally reliably gathered yesterday that the
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of
Justice, Abubakar Malami, has already issued a leter to
Magu on the development and directed that he hands
over to the Director of Operations in the Commission.
Magu’s nomination was recently rejected by the Senate
following allegation of graft levelled against him by the
Department of State Security Service (DSS).
The Senate had rejected the nomination of Mr Ibrahim
Magu as Substantive Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this to journalists in
Abuja.
Abdullahi said that the rejection of Magu’s nomination
was based on security reports available to the senate.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari will be
communicated accordingly.
“The Senate wishes to inform the general public that
based on security reports available to the senate, it
cannot proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim
Magu as the Executive Chairman of EFCC.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the said
nomination and has returned it to Mr President for further
action,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
nomination of other members of the commission sent for
confirmation was also not confirmed at plenary. The
committee chairman declined further comments on the
screening of the nominees.
The Senate had at the resumption of plenary gone into a
two hour executive session with Magu but the meeting
ended in a deadlock.
NAN recalls that the Presidency had in July written the
Senate, seeking the screening and confirmation of Magu
as Substantive Chairman of EFCC.
Buhari appointed Magu Acting Chairman of the
commission after the removal of Mr Ibrahim Lamorde on
Nov. 9, 2015. Before his appointment as the acting
chairman, Magu was the Head of Economic Governance
Unit of the commission.
