The Department of State Services in a report said the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu failed integrity test and warned that he will hinder President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.
This report, made the Senate to rejected the nomination of Magu by Buhari as the Chairman of the EFCC on Thursday.
The screening had been listed on the Order Paper as part of the activities at the chamber for the day.
The lawmakers were to conduct a confirmatory screening for Magu and four members of the EFCC on their nomination.
The plan to conduct the confirmatory screening had allegedly divided the senators.
However, a copy of the security report by the DSS was sighted by The PUNCH and Magu’s activities were alleged to have made him ineligible to hold the office.
The report, which listed several alleged malpractices against the EFCC boss, said his confirmation would frustrate the anti-graft drive of the Buhari-led administration.
Part of the allegations against Magu was his being in possession of EFCC documents in his private residence during the chairmanship of Farida Waziri.
The DSS also made reference to the circumstances surrounding Magu’s arrest, detention and suspension by the Nigeria Police.
The secret service also alleged that the sum of N40m was paid for the rented apartment, which costs N20m per annum, where the acting EFCC chairman currently resides.
It added that the accommodation was not paid for from the commission’s account but by a presidential appointee, who had been under investigation.
The DSS alleged that after renting the apartment for Magu, the friend awarded a N43m contract for the furnishing of the accommodation.
The appointee, who is a retired Air Commodore, was said to be a close associate and ally of Magu, allegedly and “runs questionable business” and was once arrested by the service.
The report, which cleared the other four EFCC appointees, said Magu, flew a private jet owned by the retired military officer.
The service also claimed that the EFCC boss was once in the same flight to Maiduguri with a Managing Director of one of the new generation banks, who it alleged was under investigation.
It added that the bank chief had been linked with a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The DSS stated that after the arrest of service chiefs by the EFCC, including Badeh, Umar and Amosu, Magu’s ally, while under interrogation by the service, had confessed that he didn’t want Amosu to be probed, the reason why the EFCC arraigned Amosu after his friend’s interrogation.
The acting EFCC boss was also accused in the report of making false allegations against individuals “for personal reasons.”
The report said, “The circumstances surrounding the return of Magu to the EFCC and the role played by Lamorde and their close relationship are clear indications of his culpability in the allegation of corruption tendencies of the Lamorde-led EFCC.”
The DSS also alleged that “Magu uses only his police cronies to execute operations,” adding that the fact that the cronies had acquired landed properties “led credence to the questions about his integrity.”
The report added, “In this light, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the present administration.”
It was reliably learnt that at the usual pre-session meeting by the principal officers on Thursday, which held at the Senate President’s office, the lawmakers engaged themselves in a shouting match.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, before the end of the closed-door session, announced that the lawmakers had rejected Magu’s nomination and would not screen him.
Abdullahi, who read from a statement while addressing journalists, said, “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that based on security reports available to the Senate, the Senate cannot proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the Executive Chairman of the EFCC.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the said nomination and has returned the said nomination to Mr. President for further action.”
In an attempt by journalists to ask Abdullahi questions, especially on the reported power play involving Magu, individuals and the Presidency and the Senate leadership, the Senator said, “There’s no confusion here. We have said it is based on security reports. Please, all of us – public officers – go for security screening. Everybody! And we are saying based on security reports, we cannot proceed and confirm (Magu) and we are rejecting it (the nomination) and returning it to Mr. President for further action. That is just the statement.’’
The report, it was gathered, had been with Senate President Bukola Saraki since October.
Saraki, who presided over the plenary, referred the other nominees to the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes for screening.
Magu, who was appointed by the President as acting Chairman of the EFCC in November, 2015, following the removal of Ibrahim Lamorde, has remained in the acting capacity for over one year.
Apart from Magu, the confirmation of four members of the commission was also delayed.
The affected appointees are Moses Nda Sule, Mamman Lawan, Imam Najib Galadanchi and Adebayo Adeleke.
The letter for Magu’s confirmation was dated June 17, 2016, and signed by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was then the acting President while Buhari was in the United Kingdom on a 10-day medical vacation.
PUNCH
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