The legal team representing the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has rattled the Presidency and the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel with new revelations concerning his travails.
Recall that Magu was arrested on July 6 by a combined team of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Police and freed after 9 days. He has however, insisted that the allegations against him were fabricated and meant to tarnish his image and EFCC credibility.
In a statement signed Magu’s counsel, Tosin Ojaomo, he urged the Justice Salami panel to be just and fair in its probe.
“What is the basis of the panel’s invitation to a senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a lawyer that is defending the looters of our common patrimony, especially those who are under EFCC’s investigations and trial?
“Is it not curious that while the lawyer to Magu, Wahab Shittu, deliberately refused to disclose what transpired before the panel, Ozekhome and Obla issued statements and made public what transpired before the panel.
“What is the propriety of the panel’s invitation to a disgruntled official of the EFCC, Nuru Buhari Dalhatu, to come and testify against Mr Magu while the said Dalhatu is under investigation for misconduct and fraternizing with suspects?
“What is the justification for the panel’s invitation of another senior lawyer, Godwin Obla (SAN), who is currently facing EFCC’s trial with an indicted judge of the Federal High Court?
“Is it not strange that Obla made a damning revelation on what transpired before the panel and went ahead to demand for his outrageous legal fees of N763million and the striking out of the charge against him?
“Why is the panel hostile to Magu at any time he tried to take up issues with those invited to testify against him?
“How come that a fact finding panel over allegations of corruption against Mr Magu has now turned to a platform where certain individuals whose actions and antecedents fit into the description “corruption enablers” as well as “haters of the war against corruption” and its leadership are being invited to testify against Mr. Magu?
“There is the need to ask this important question- Has any witness testified that he or she gave xyz amount to Mr Magu in order to compromise cases before him?
“Why is it that the Salami-led panel is yet to serve and confront Mr Magu with all the allegations against him and what are the terms of reference of the panel?”
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Abubakar Isa Alugbere
August 1, 2020 at 6:48 am
Ibrahim Magu’s integrity occasioned by media reports over the years have attained soaring heights. If the allegations of corruption against him by the Fed Attorney-Gen are to be taken to be of substance, the Justice Salami panel should give him every opportunity to defend himself. I can’t understand why the allegations against him are taking so much time to be presented to him, and also made public. It is worrisome too that enemies of the anti-corruption fight are being lined up to testify against him. The strategies of this panel do not tally with the clean profile of the Justice Salami we used to know. We are watching.
Bilal Adams
August 1, 2020 at 11:25 am
… We should all reasonably troubled by the kind and caliber if witnesses appearing before this ” investigative Panel”. A man being investigated for corruption, should have been contending with witnesses providing evidence of his corruption. This is an anti corruption Tsar being investigated, who naturally has enemy among the corrupt of our society, which includes those who defend their corrupt practices, (for a share of the loot). We expect, rightly too, witnesses who are saying we know he collected bribes and other forms of gratifications; He is actually the owner of so and so property as accused etc. He has been compromised and all that. And without prejudice, non of the witnesses on record fit. Did they say hevwhovsupports a thief, is a t…f?
We are worried, more with our perceived caliber of the Panel’s personalities.
O Allah, let it not be true that the is indeed corruption fighting back. And if it is, dear lord like in Suratul film send the birds the birds to disperse them with pellet’s of fire stones… Àmeen
Friday Agboseina
August 1, 2020 at 12:17 pm
The panel should be seen in the eyes of the global community to be transparent. It should be upright. It should give opportunity to Magu to be heard so that we all could have a balance position to the report that will be generated. We must know that the country’s integrity and seriousness is at stake. National interest should be uppermost. We deserve a better country than this.
Samek
August 1, 2020 at 9:32 pm
Absolutely. The action of justice Ayo salami led probe panel is a kind of given us serious concern as against the trust that we have on the character of justice salami.
Let it not be that there are invisible hands that pushing for magu’s head in other to carefully stop the war against corruption but my hope is that”no matter how bad they may paint magu,in the end,the report will be forwarded to Mr president and I believe that pmb will look into the report and give the fina reportl about the matter by himself.I trust that.