By Samuel Itsede
The Presidency has constituted a panel to probe sundry allegations of fraud and corruption against the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.
The five man panel made up of the Co’s to the President, NSA, DSS among others was set up by the Presidency following a letter written by the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) alleging discrepancies in Magu’s handling of forfeited properties and recovered looted funds.
It would be recalled that last week, Malami had written to President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the removal of Magu as the anti- graft agency boss over the allegations.
Highly placed presidency source revealed to Daybreak that President Buhari upon receiving the memo against the EFCC boss by the AGF, directed the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, the DG DSS, Magaji Bichi, a representative from both the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to look into the allegations and report back.
According to the source, the panel has already started sitting.
He said both the acting chairman of the EFCC and the AGF would appear before the panel for some interactions, questioning and explanations.
However, an EFCC source said that Magu since assumption of office has ran a transparent government in terms of handling of forfeiture of properties, looted funds and other funds recovered from public office holders and fraudsters.
Malami had last week, in a memo to the President accused the EFCC chairman on several grounds ranging from “diversion of recovered loots to insubordination and misconduct.”
But Magu is fighting back and his supporters within the presidency are of the opinion that “removing Magu at this time when he has given muscle to Buhari’s anti-corruption fight would be a mistake.”
