ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, April 16, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Ibrahim Magu, suspended EFCC Chairman.

Ibrahim Magu, suspended EFCC Chairman.

Magu spends fourth night in detention as panel continues interrogation

byKunle Sanni
July 10, 2020
3 min read

The embattled chairman of the anti-graft agency, EFCC, spent his fourth night in detention on Thursday.

Mr Magu was arrested on Monday and has been detained since then.

He is facing a probe panel set up by President Muhammadu over allegations of corruption and insubordination. The panel, headed by a retired appeal court judge, Ayo Salami, also has representatives of the major security agencies, police and the SSS, as members.

The allegations against Mr Magu were made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Both men have had a running battle since Mr Magu’s appointment in 2015.

While the panel has continued its daily sitting, it has been held behind closed doors in the absence of journalists.

Government officials including presidential spokespersons have also been reluctant to speak officially on the status of the investigation and of Mr Magu.

Apart from Mr Magu, other senior officials of the agency including its secretary, Olanipekun Olukoyede, are believed to have appeared before the panel.

Unlike Mr Magu, however, every other person who has appeared before the panel has been allowed to go home after the appearance.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt from sources close to Mr Magu that he is allowed to see his family at the Area 10 police building in Abuja where he is detained and sleeps at one of its waiting rooms.

RelatedNews

Strike continues as FG, governors postpone meeting with judiciary workers

Sunday Oliseh’s ‘Audacity to Refuse’ hits bookstands

Twitter: APC replies PDP, says Nigeria remains Africa’s biggest economy, top investment destination

Malabu: Police quiz anti-corruption activist, Suraju, over Adoke’s forgery allegation

He also has access to his lawyers and spends virtually all day answering questions at the panel since Monday.

“He is taken away from the FCID to the villa around 9 a.m. and brought back around 11 p.m. every day,” a security source told PREMIUM TIMES, saying Mr Magu is interrogated daily by the presidential panel.

Suspension

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

A day after Mr Magu was arrested, he was suspended from office, according to multiple sources briefed on the matter. Since the suspension, however, there has been no official announcement on it or on who would head the EFCC in the interim.

At the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, Mr Olukoyede and the commission’s director of operations, Mohammed Umar, continue to supervise the agency, with neither of them being formally appointed as acting head of the agency yet.

EFCC Headquarters
EFCC Headquarters

However, based on Section 2(3) of the EFCC Act, the most-senior EFCC official next to Mr Magu ”with 15 years experience as a security operative” is expected to take charge as the head of the commission. That would leave Mr Umar, a deputy commissioner of police, as interim head of the agency.

On the same day Mr Magu was suspended, a combined team of riot policemen and operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) searched his house in Karu, Abuja.

Nothing incriminating was found during the search, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Many Nigerians including civil society organisations and a member of the presidential advisory committee against corruption, Femi Odekunle, have described Mr Magu’s ordeal as a power play between him and Mr Malami.

ADVERTISEMENT

Magu Rejected Twice

Mr Magu, who was appointed as acting chief of the anti-graft agency in 2015 by President Muhammad Buhari, was rejected twice by the 8th Assembly under the leadership of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, after the State Security Service said the nominee lacked the integrity to lead the country’s anti-corruption agency.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki

In the 9th Assembly, Mr Magus’s name was never sent for screening, despite an endorsement by a presidential adviser and chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Itse Sagay.

Itse Sagay
Itse Sagay

“This is not a turn-by-turn thing. It is a thing of merit. You must work for it and achieve it. In our view, the acting chairman deserves everything including his being given a substantive appointment. It is true one man cannot make a forest, but it takes a good man, a man of quality to bring out the best in any organisation, and that is what he represents – an uncompromising person.

“As far as corruption is concerned, no one has the courage in this country to offer him a bribe, because he or she knows the result will be a disaster. We are solidly behind Magu and the EFCC.” Mr Sagay said when he led his team on a solidarity visit to the EFCC boss at the commission’s headquarters, in November 2019.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (20)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Lagos Assembly lawmaker, Tunde Braimoh, is dead

Next Post

Oil prices fall, head for weekly decline

Kunle Sanni

Kunle Sanni

More News

Obaseki denounces Buhari govt’s ‘monetary rascality’

April 15, 2021
SIM card registration centre

Nigerian govt lifts ban on registration of new SIM cards

April 15, 2021
Chris Ngige. [PHOTO CREDIT: @NGYouths4Change]

Strike continues as FG, governors postpone meeting with judiciary workers

April 15, 2021
FG, IOM, sign MoU on reintegrating migrant women, children

FG, IOM, sign MoU on reintegrating migrant women, children

April 15, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari returns to Nigeria

Buhari speaks on acting IGP’s appointment, service chiefs

April 15, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari have taken the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. [PHOTO: Presidency]

COVID-19: Nigeria vaccinates over 1 million people

April 15, 2021
Next Post
Oil rig used to illustrate the story.

Oil prices fall, head for weekly decline

Trump and Chinese president [Photo Credit: CNN]

ANALYSIS: Dollar peg critical to Hong Kong

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,652,156 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
    • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.