Real reasons Senators refuse to confirm Magu

The decision by the Senate not to confirm the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, may not be unconnected with a report by the EFCC linking three aides of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to an alleged diversion of N19bn out of the London-Paris loan refund of N522.7bn, National Daily has gathered.

Unconfirmed sources told National Daily that not just the Senate President, but also other Senators who are being investigated are hell bent on preventing Ibrahim Magu from assuming the substantive Chair of the EFCC.

In the report, the indicted aides are the Relationship Manager to the Senate President, Kathleen Erhimu, Obiora Amobi, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Hon. Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, Mr. Kolawole Shittu and Oladapo Joseph Idowu.

It was also gathered that the EFCC is probing, apart from Saraki’s aides, a former Heritage Bank Executive Director Mr. Robert Mbonu, and three others on how N3.5billion was wired into some accounts. Mbonu is said to be one of the consultants engaged by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Quoting the report, Mr. Robert Mbonu is alleged to have received N3.5billion into his company’s (Melrose General Services Limited’s) account from the NGF through Account 0005892453 domiciled in Access Bank. “Investigation revealed that one Kathleen Erhimu is the Relationship Manager to Dr. Bukola Saraki’s account with Access Bank.

Another of the aids, Oladapo Idowu owned Cactus Communication Limited whose account was the nominated account to receive the dollar equivalent of the sun of $149,000.

The report also said that another N1m was transferred to Oladapo Idowu’s personal account number 0001679877 with Access Bank Plc by Mr. Kelechi Edomobi in January, 2017.

The EFCC also alleged in the report that the sum of $1,570,000 was received by the trio of Mr. Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, Mr. Kolawole Shittu and Mr. Oladapo Joseph Idowu at various times and locations at Abuja FCT.

National Daily gathered that about 15 accounts of some individuals and companies have been frozen as the probe deepened.