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Tag: Magu

  • How BDCs assist politicians to loot, by Magu

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu revealed yesterday how Bureau de Change (BDC) operators aid corrupt practices of some politicians.

    Speaking at a meeting with the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) in Abuja, Magu said: “These politicians transfer looted funds from government accounts to BDC’s accounts; in 10, 20 millions in about 75 transactions in one day.

    “This is done with only paper work, no physical cash.

    “The BDC operators now take the money to the politician’s village and also buy properties for them in and outside the country.

    “They help clean up dirty money. When we start prosecuting them in every zone, others will sit up.

    “We all have the responsibility to clean this country. We must always do the right thing.

    ”We shall go to the airports and border points and deal with those who help these thieves,” the chairman said.

    He was quoted in a statement by Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade.

    Magu warned that the agency would prosecute operators and bankers who failed to comply with laws guiding the financial regulating system.

    Acting President of the Association, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, commended the EFCC chairman for his determination in the fight against corruption in the country.

    He gave the assurance that about 5000 licenced members of the association were ready to collaborate with the commission in the fight against corruption.

    He said that the problem had always been with the unlicenced members of the association who were ready to cut corners and bend the rules of the game.

    “In Abuja alone, we have over 100,000 unregistered BDC operators.

    “These are the people giving us the bad name. We would need the EFCC to partner with us in sanitising the association,” he said.

  • EFCC secures 172 convictions in 10 months – Magu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) recorded 172 convictions from January to date, the acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said in Gombe on Monday.

    Magu, who said this in Gombe at an event to mobilise the people to take ownership of the fight against corruption, added that “as I speak, EFCC has recorded over 172 convictions since the beginning of the year and we expect the figure to improve significantly before the end of 2018.”

    The chairman emphasised that every Nigerian should take ownership of the fight against corruption, adding that “this is the right time to act to stem the tide of corruption as the 2019 general elections
    approach.

    “As we move closer to the general elections where Nigerians will vote for the present government or a new leadership to take control of governance, it is time that we all must be vigilant.

    “We all must be careful as citizens to ensure that only people with proven records of integrity are elected into offices.”

    He, therefore, called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) religious organisations, traditional leaders to help in sensitising voters to vote right and not to compromise.

    He said “voters should not fall into the temptation of selling their votes.”

    According to him, voters must be educated to realise that their voter cards represent the ticket for their future and healthy living if they use it wisely.

    The anti-graft commission chairman was in Gombe to mobilise the people to take ownership of the fight against corruption.

  • Justice Nyako withdraws from suits against Magu

    •Commission queries her impartiality over husband, step-son’s trial

    JUSTICE Binta Nyako, one of the wives of former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, withdrew yesterday from cases involving Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu.

    Most of the cases, 19 in all, are querying the propriety of Magu’s continued occupation of the headship of the EFCC, even after his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari was rejected twice by the Senate.

    Announcing her withdrawal yesterday, Justice Nyako hinged her decision on the persistent request by the EFCC that the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Kafarati, transfer the cases from her court in view of the ongoing trial of her husband and step son, Abdulazeez (a serving senator) by the commission.

    Nyako and his son, Abdulazeez, are being tried with some others on corruption related charges before Justice Okon Abang, another judge of the Federal High Court.

    The trial is ongoing at the Federal High Court Abuja, where Justice Nyako also sits.

    Earlier yesterday, Justice Nyako drew the attention of lawyers in the cases to some number of letters by the EFCC, to the court’s Chief Judge, demanding the re-assignment of the cases to any other judge.

    The judge said the fear expressed by the EFCC, to the effect that the commission’s prosecution of her husband and step son would affect her decision, was unwarranted.

    Justice Nyako said the trial of her husband and his son would not affect her decision in the cases. She noted that any party, dissatisfied with her decision in the suits, has the right of appealing.

    The judge noted that since justice was rooted in confidence, she was left with no option than to withdraw from the cases and return them to the Chief Judge for re-assignment.

    A plaintiff in one of the cases, Wale Balogun, said the EFCC’s request for the re-assignment of the cases was without basis.

    He noted that the EFCC has, before now, won some cases, particularly those relating to forfeiture of assets of suspects, before the judge.

    Balogun noted that it was a ploy by the EFCC to delay the determination of cases.

    Justice Nyako, after announcing her withdrawal yesterday,  adjourned the cases indefinitely, pending their re-assignment to another judge.

    Most of the cases relate to the dispute over whether or not Magu could continue to occupy the headship of the EFCC without the confirmation of his nomination by the Senate.

    The court had, earlier in the year, upon a directive by the court’s Chief Judge, directed that all cases relating to the non-confirmation of Magu be transferred to Justice Nyako’s court for determination.

    When the cases were all concentrated in her court by virtue of the Chief Judge’s directive, Justice Nyako, with the agreement of lawyers in the case, elected to consolidate the cases and render a single judgment that will bind, because most of the issues were similar.

    Magu had, in a July 30, 2018 letter, to the lawyer handling the cases for the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, requested that he take steps towards ensuring the re-assignment of the cases.

    Magu had stressed in the letter that the transfer was necessary “to avoid bias and conflict of interest because the commission is prosecuting the spouse and step-son of His Lordship, namely Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd), and Senator Abdulazeez Nyako, respectively”.

    Based on Magu’s letter, Shittu wrote a letter dated July 31, 2018, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, demanding that the cases be transferred to any other judges.

    Again, Shittu wrote a reminder on October 5, 2018 addressed to the Registrar of the Federal High Court, drawing attention to his earlier letter, which was yet to be acted on.

    Copies of the October 5 letter were sent to lawyers to parties in the affected cases.

  • Magu meets INEC chairman, vows to track campaign finances

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday night met with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to discuss ways of tracking campaign finances by all political parties.

    Magu also vowed that the anti-graft agency will not spare people who collect bribe to rig elections.

    Magu made the vow at a closed door session with Yakubu and all the National Commissioners of INEC in Abuja.

    The session was a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between INEC and EFCC on how to check poll bribery, inducement, vote buying and deployment of illicit funds for campaign purposes.

    Magu said: “The audacious move by the commission is part of a collaborative initiative that will see the EFCC join forces with other law enforcement organisations in the country to enforce the provisions of the Electoral Act which criminalises financial inducement by political parties and their candidates during electoral campaigns and at polling centres on election day.

    “We will be working with all stakeholders, especially from the security and intelligence community, to stop the practice of vote buying and other financial malpractices that undermine the integrity of our elections.

    “To this end, and starting from the governorship election in Osun State this weekend, the Commission has fully mobilised its investigative resources in a proactive move to stem the incidence of vote buying and other financial inducements that had bedeviled the nation’s electoral process.”

    He asked the electorate to be vigilant and resist vote buyers under any guise.

    He said: “It is important to state here that those who offer bribes for votes are as guilty as those who receive such gratifications. My candid advice to the electorate is to be vigilant and resist the temptation to sell their votes.

    “After the widely acclaimed peaceful transfer of power from a sitting president who was the candidate of the then ruling party to the candidate of the opposition party in 2015, the 2019 general election offers Nigeria the opportunity to deepen her emerging democratic culture that is free and participatory. We must guard this process by shunning all forms of electoral malpractices.”

    The EFCC chairman advised Nigerian voters to be “vigilant in the exercise of their franchise by resisting monetary inducement for votes, as those who dangle such carrots cannot be trusted to protect their interests once in power.”

    Magu, however, assured that the commission’s intervention will be moderated by national interest and the rule of law.

    “We will not take any step that is not sanctioned by law.

    “We call on aspirants to elective offices to apprise themselves of the provisions of the Electoral Act on campaign financing as anything done outside the law would be considered as corrupt practices and dealt with accordingly.” he added.

    He warned officials saddled with the conduct of the 2019 general election to learn from the poll bribery scam which trailed the 2015 general poll.

    “No one who collects money to rig election will be spared,” Magu assured.

    He urged religious leaders, traditional rulers and civil society organisations across the country to come to the aid of INEC by helping to educate the electorate to “vote right and not sell their conscience for filthy lucre.”

  • Whistleblowing: EFCC recovers N527b, Magu pledges political neutrality

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu yesterday said whistleblowing has led to the recovery of N527, 463, 500, $53, 222, 747, £122, 890 and €547,730.

    He said the EFCC will continue to be politically neutral in its operations and will go after anybody or institution with sufficient case to answer.

    He said the commission will never shield anyone from investigation and prosecution in accordance with law.

    Magu, who made the disclosures at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, said the “whistleblowing policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari is revolutionary.”

    He said: “The whistleblowing policy is designed to encourage citizens to volunteere information that could lead to the recovery of stolen funds in return for a token pay out, not more than five per cent of the total recovered sum, as incentive.

    “Since the policy came on stream, some humongous sums have been recovered by agencies saddled with the responsibility for its implementation.

    “Figures released by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun indicate that the government as at May this year had recovered N7.8billion, $278million and £27, 800.

    “At the level of EFCC, the lead anti-corruption agency in Nigeria, funds recovered through information provided by whistleblowers is as follows: N527, 463, 500, $53, 222, 747, £122, 890 and €547,730.”

    The EFCC chairman assured the nation of political neutrality and commitment to the Rule of Law.

    He added: “I will like to use this opportunity to assure you all and indeed the Nigerian public that the commission under my leadership will continue to abide by the following code of ethics:  That we will continue to put God first:

    • That the interest of our people is non-negotiable in all our operations;
    • That in the fight against corruption, the Commission, as a creation of the law, will continue to act within the ambit of the law;
    • That the commission will continue to be politically neutral in our operations and will go after anybody or institution that we sufficiently believe to have a case to answer; and
    • That the commission will never shield anyone from investigation and prosecution in accordance with law.

    “That said, I will also use this opportunity to highlight some of the major achievements of the commission in the past months. These achievements cover the areas of convictions, Recoveries, Tracking Election Financing, Putting Searchlight on the Judiciary and Accounting for Security Budgets.

    “Before we delve into the specifics, it would interest you to note that before now, it was inconceivable for law enforcement agencies to investigate the sources of election funding of political parties and their candidates. This has led to gross financial abuse and the perversion of the electoral process and consequently enthroned bad leadership which in turn led to corruption and bad governance.

    “ With our modest achievement in this area, I can assure you that our politicians will be more circumspect as we go into the next general election. And our people have all to gain in this process of disinfecting the electoral process by monitoring the financing of elections because it will help to improve good governance when good candidates are elected not money bags.

    “Secondly, before now, military budgets were no-go areas that unfortunately had hemorrhaged our country badly.

    “Of course we can say this now with the benefits of hindsight. Numerous senior military officers and their civilian accomplices implicated in the $2.1 billion arms deal fraud were investigated and arrested.

    “As you know, some of the people involved have refunded some monies they diverted and they are still standing trial for the roles they played in defrauding the country through the abuse of office.”

    Magu gave more insights into the ongoing moves to cleanse the Judiciary.

    He said: “There are also alleged corruption cases involving judges and even senior lawyers. Stories were rife of this alleged corruption so much so that the corrupt are now said to be shopping for “favourable” judges to handle their matters. The EFCC has decisively stepped in to put some Judges and lawyers on trial.

    “We have even secured the conviction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We can say that we have helped in building public confidence again in our judiciary. Between January and August 2018, the commission has secured 158 convictions and still counting. While within the same period, we have recovered: N106,516,222,383.68; US$1,635,925.81; £ 629,193.65; and € 25,575.00.

    “Nonetheless, the Commission is currently collaborating with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to investigate and recover funds and properties within the provisions of the laws. So far, the Commission has recovered over N35 billion for the FIRS and about N4 billion for the AMCON. Tax liabilities of other institutions running into billions of naira have also been identified and the companies have agreed to pay.

    “Furthermore, in an effort to maximize and utilize some of the forfeited properties recovered by the Commission, numerous government agencies have been allocated such properties to be used as offices.

    “These magnificent properties are currently housing institutions such as the VAIDS office under the Ministry of Finance, a Unit from the Defence Headquarters, Voice of Nigeria, North-East Initiative and also the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD. This in a long run will drastically reduce the cost of rental by these institutions.”

  • Magu: it’s difficult to quantify loot

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu yesterday said it was difficult to say exactly how much was looted from Nigeria.

    He blamed it on poor record keeping, adding that previous administrations’ lack of political will accounted for the poor rate of asset recovery from abroad.

    “It is difficult to estimate what Nigeria has lost because we have poor record keeping system,” he said.

    This is as a Queens Counsel (QC) Phillip Hackett said the United Kingdom might be reluctant to return Nigeria’s looted funds because of fear that they could be re-looted.

    According to him, Nigeria has only recovered a fraction of its loot hidden in the UK.

    “How much money has been recovered? Practically nothing. Nigeria has recovered so little,” said Hacket.

    He was the lead speaker at a session, with the theme: “Institutionalising the war against corruption – new approaches to assets tracing and recovery” in the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja,

    The session, which was chaired by Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) Executive Secretary Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, featured Magu, represented by EFCC’s Director of Legal and Prosecution Department Chile Okoroama.

    Also on the panel were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Mike Ozekhome, former Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) president Mrs Ayo Obe and a lawyer, Ehi Esoimeme.

    According to Hackett, the UK’s attitude towards Nigeria is that it cannot be relied on to account for returned assets.

    “The UK position is that Nigeria cannot be trusted with its money. That’s what underpins it (poor asset return rate), and it has to be addressed,” he said.

    He, however, said UK laws have been reviewed to make asset recovery and return easier.

    Magu criticised lawyers, some of who he said aid money laundering, urging the NBA to discipline its senior erring members.

    “Lawyers have been involved in money laundering; laundering of proceeds of crime. When they were asked to register with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SVUML) for regulation, they went to court. NBA said it could regulate itself. But how far has NBA gone in regulating itself? That is the issue.

    “I think the NBA Disciplinary Committee should be up and doing. I get embarrassed when NBA descends heavily on lawyers who are not considered to be significant, but they turn a blind eye to what big-time counsel are doing.

    “I think they have to do their work without looking at faces, no matter whose ox is gored. That is the only way that we can have confidence and respect for the Disciplinary Committee,” the EFCC chief said.

    Responding to a question on why the Federal Government pays so little (five per cent) to lawyers who help in asset recovery, Owasanoye said lawyers who handled such cases in the past were paid billions with nothing to show for it.

    He said the NBA also did nothing to rein in such lawyers who pocketed billions for doing no work.

    Owasanoye said: “The NBA as presently designed – its mindset – is not in a position to fight corruption, unless you want to deceive yourselves. I’m a member of the NBA. It’s my position, it’s not a secret. Every time I’ve had a chance to speak at NBA conferences, I always make the point using facts.

    “If the NBA will not take a position and deal with the issue, we’re going to be going round in circles. And the implication is that majority of the practitioners are going to be left in the fringes. They will not be able to survive.

    “It behoves the NBA to create mechanisms that will assure the public that it is dealing with the issue. Otherwise you stigmatise the entire profession for the sins of a few.”

    The PACAC Executive Secretary denied Ozekhome’s allegations that money recovered from abroad was being re-looted, saying all the cash recoveries were kept in a dedicated account and that none was spent without appropriation.

    Owasanoye said anyone alleging money had been re-looted under the Buhari administration should provide evidence.

    Ozekhome accused the Federal Government of engaging in selective war against corruption, adding that the NBA is silent in the face of abuses of rule of law.

    “The NBA has been sleeping. The NBA, to me, with all respect, has been greatly compromised. And I think the time has come for us lawyers to make up our minds, that if the incoming executive wants to go the way of the last NBA, there will be need to split the NBA from the old order to a new one.

    “We’re no longer having the NBA championing the cause of the common man in this country. People cannot even speak. Everybody is looking over their shoulders,” he said.

    He decried the fact that All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes people who had been previously accused of corruption and declares them “sinless” once they decamp to the party.

    “In as much as I agree that once you catch a corrupt person you should prosecute the person, you cannot overlook the corruption in your own system,” Ozekhome said.

     

     

     

     

  • EFCC to investigate $3.8b Egina FPSO project, says Magu

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu has said the commission will look into the award of $3.8 billion to build Egina Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

    The contract to build $3.8 billion Egina FPSO project was awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 2013 to SHI.

    He made the promise when two civil society organisations, Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, (NYPF) and Connected Development (CODE) submitted a petition at the EFCC office in Abuja yesterday.

    The petition was signed by NYPF’s Chairman, Mr. Moses Siasia and the Chief Executive Officer, CODE, Hamzat Lawal.

    The petition was received by EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on behalf of Mr. Magu.

    Magu assured the petitioners that the EFCC would consider the allegations raised in the petition and subject them to test.

    He said: “I assure you that we will take this petition through the normal process through which we receive petitions in the commission.

    “For us, this is merely an allegation, but we will subject it to test and if it is worthy of investigation, the commission will investigate it and you will get to know our findings.”

    In the petition, Siasia and Lawal called for a thorough investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding SHI and Samsung Korea and their involvement in the Egina FPSO project.

    According to them, the investigation should include the estimation of the resulting losses to Nigeria’s economy.

  • AFTERMATH OF DAURA’S SACK: Pressure mounts on Buhari to fire NSA Monguno, Magu

    •South-West govt joins fray for removal of EFCC chair

    Loyalists of the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Lawal Daura have launched a move to make the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu pay for his sack.

    The loyalists, including some members of the President’s kitchen cabinet and kinsmen, are understood to be putting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to fire Monguno and Magu.

    They have already made a representation to the President on why the duo must go, The Nation gathered authoritatively yesterday.

    On the side of the Daura loyalists is a South West governor.

    In their view, the sacked DSS boss was a “victim of a palace coup”   who was sacrificed for the survival of the NSA, Magu, and a few other security chiefs.

    They said the president must now proceed to overhaul the nation’s security architecture, sparing neither Monguno nor Magu.

    But some other members of the cabinet are said to be kicking against any fresh plot to tie the fate of the NSA and EFCC chair to Daura’s travails.

    They claim that the duo had no hand whatsoever in the sack of Daura.

    A source said that the EFCC steered clear of the de-briefing and interrogation of Daura by other security agencies to avoid being accused of bias or retaliation.

    Two letters to the Senate from the DSS under Daura were largely responsible for the decision of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly to deny Magu confirmation as substantive chairman of the EFCC.

    The Nation also gathered that the Presidency has however called for “performance brief on the NSA and Magu.”

    A well- placed source familiar with the development said the ripples over Daura’s removal have not abated.

    “Those loyal and sympathetic to the ex-DG of DSS are up in arms by mounting pressure on the President to overhaul the nation’s security and anti-corruption architecture,” the source said.

    “They specifically demanded the sack of the NSA and Magu too.

    “They alleged that the ex-DSS DG was sacrificed in the absence of the President to ease him out of the equation in the presidency.

    “They also alleged that the removal of Daura was timed to achieve a purpose for the NSA and the EFCC boss.

    “Some of these forces even added spiritual connotations to the sack of Daura. They said some marabouts did the job on behalf of some key figures around the President.

    “It is unfortunate that a governor from the South-West, who has links with a few corrupt ones, has been vehement in the sack of Magu.”

    Continuing, the source said: “those backing Daura’s sack prevailed on the President not to bow to pressure to remove the NSA and Magu who has done so much to put the anti-corruption fight on proper footing.

    “Some of the lobbyists and influential people from the Northwest are alleged to be getting tired of the Northeast elements around President Buhari. They are asking him to remove a few of these Northeast hands including the NSA and Magu.”

    Another top source added: “Some of us are worried at the latest twist to the sack of the former DG of DSS. Some loyalists and a few influential kitchen cabinet members are trying to personalize the sack by fingering the NSA and Magu.

    “The NSA and Magu had nothing to do with the fate of Daura. It was not a case of investigation for corruption or any financial crimes; it had to do with wrongful deployment of forces on a critical arm of government, which is the Legislature (the National Assembly).

    “The vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was then the Acting President, had told the nation that the disciplinary measure was necessary to end impunity in the country. He described the DSS operatives’ invasion of the National Assembly as ‘a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and accepted notions of law and order.’

    “Attributing such removal to the NSA and Magu will be unfair. It is even sad that a Southwest governor is among those driving this latest initiative to achieve selfish ends.

    “The vice president also stayed away from elements of bias by disallowing the NSA and the EFCC from being part of the detention and debriefing of Daura in a safe house in Abuja. The Nigeria Police and other security agencies were directed to handle Daura’s matter.

    “It will be disastrous for Buhari to start his anti-corruption war afresh because the ultimate target is to make the war a failure. Some of us have been warning against these Fifth columnists who are out to bring this administration down.”

    A government source said: “There is a whole lot of confusion because some forces are desperate to create a wedge between the President and Osinbajo.

    “At a time the nation is getting international recognition for its anti-graft war and arresting the killings and insecurity in many parts of the country, some forces have launched attacks on the NSA and Magu.

    “It is on record that the ex-DG of DSS never took directives from the NSA who took it with equanimity. At a point, a former DG of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke brokered peace between Monguno and Daura to work as one.

    “Oke maintained the equilibrium among security chiefs; he also united all of them. He later introduced an interaction between the Intelligence community and the media which the NSA and Daura benefitted tremendously from.”

    The source traced the cold war between the NSA and Daura  to  the constitution of the Special Investigative Panel on Arms Procurement on the $2.1billion arms deal in the Armed Forces, which was headed by AVM Jon Ode.

    The ex-DG of DSS was said to be unhappy that no representative of his agency was part of the probe.

    “Since then, a battle line was drawn by the two security chiefs,” the source said, adding: “Daura also felt that the eventual recommendation of Magu for EFCC’s job (after excellent outing as a member of the investigative panel) was meant to achieve a purpose. Unknown to him, the NSA only acted on merit, he did not know Magu.

    “Despite curious letters to the Senate on why Magu should not be confirmed as the EFCC chairman, he never treated Daura with disdain. We do not know why these forces want to cause crisis in the presidency by pressurizing the President to sack those giving him results.”

    The performance brief on the NSA and Magu

    “The performance brief of the NSA and Nagu which the presidency is said to have requested is expected to guide President on his next line of action.

    A source said: “the brief might determine the fate of the NSA, Magu and probably other security chiefs,” It was unclear as at press time whether or not Daura has been released from a “safe house” in Abuja.

     

  • Magu: EFCC has secured over 150 convictions this year

    Acting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu yesterday dismissed speculations that the agency was being used to witch-hunt perceived enemies of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    Magu, who said EFCC had sustained the anti-corruption war irrespective of personal or political affiliations, added that the agency had secured not fewer than 150 convictions of corrupt individuals from January to June.

    “That’s the best anybody can do,” he said.

    Magu spoke at a stakeholders’ interactive session held at the EFCC Ibadan Zonal Office, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    He was received by the Southwest Zonal Director, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, top officials of the agency, artisans, trade groups, religious leaders, among others.

    The session, aimed at strengthening partnership and collaborative efforts with stakeholders in the fight against corruption, had in attendance the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by its Chairman in Oyo State, Mr. Waheed Olojede; Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its state Chairman, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu; founder of Shafaudeen in Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke; state Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs. Dolapo Dosunmu and members of the Corrupt Practices Eradication Organisation of Nigeria (COPEON).

    Magu said: “The EFCC will not, and does not engage in a witch-hunt. Our activities are in line with international best practices. In all we do, we are guided first by the fear of God and patriotism to our fatherland and the rule of law. I will continue to discharge my duties by the fear of Almighty God, the overriding interest of our fatherland, Nigeria and the rule of law.

    “It is pertinent for all of us to see ourselves as stakeholders in this fight. We must strive to achieve the Nigeria of our dream, one which our children and generations unborn will be proud of.

    “For us at the EFCC, we are driven by courage, integrity and professionalism and our commitment to the common task of improving the lot of our people at the grassroots, as we promote working partnership with all of you. Corruption is the number one problem that has militated against the development of Nigeria, especially the poor at the grassroots. The havoc corruption has wreaked on the economy is, no doubt, endless.

    “This is why fighting it to a standstill is not only a must, but also the only lifesaver for our country, to save the next generation. I want to restate for the records that there is no better time to prop up the anti-corruption campaign than now. There are ways of fighting corruption, which is to sensitise, create awareness and all that. But I am telling you, the looting must stop. We should not glorify the corrupt. We should not appreciate the corrupt. The ill must stop in the interest of our future generation. We have to find a way to protect their future.”

  • Osinbajo, Magu meet in Aso Rock

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

    Magu arrived the Acting President’s office around 2.28p.m.

    Read Also: Osinbajo , acting DSS chief meet in Aso Rock

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

     

    Details Later…