President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday suspended the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.
The President had earlier set up a presidential panel headed by retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to probe the various allegations leveled against the EFCC boss.
Magu was arrested on Monday and driven to the Presidential Villa by the operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.
The DSS had in a report in 2017, accused Magu of living above his means; specifically, he was accused of living in a house paid for by a “corrupt” businessman. He was also accused of extorting money – through a proxy – from suspects.
With the latest development, officials are of the opinion that Magu’s days as the anti-graft agency are numbered.
The 2017 report had said, “Investigation on the chairmanship of Magu revealed that in August 2008, during the tenure of Farida Waziri as the commission’s chairman, some sensitive documents, which were not supposed to be at the disposal of Magu were discovered in his house.
“He was subsequently redeployed to the police after days of detention and later suspended from the police 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, he made the return of Magu to the EFCC a top priority. Magu remained a top official of the commission until he was appointed to succeed Lamorde.
