Exclusive Report: Why Is The EFCC Acting Chair, Magu Scared Of His Most Senior Core Managerial Operative?

👤 EXCLUSIVE: Adenike Lucas and Danjuma Aliyu, DENISAURUS News

The Acting Chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, is facing fresh allegations over his continuous bullying, victimisation and blackmailing of staff members at the anti-graft Agency.

Core operatives recently gave an account of their ordeal at the hands of Mr Magu, in a no-holds barred interview with the Editor-In-Chief of DENISAURUS News, Adenike Lucas.

They said the EFCC boss is a corrupt bully who needs to be shown the way out quickly.

In a series of publication, this website has revealed damning exposé on Mr Magu, as described by regular staff and police seconded to the commission.

Having conducted a six month investigation, DENISAURUS News took the decision to stand with the core staff in their fight against injustice.

In this decision, this website has unearthed unwholesome impunity and atrocities, which the anti-graft agency’s boss has concealed from President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB, National Assembly NASS and gullible Nigerians.

Staff say this was only possible because “the Department of States Services, DSS was left out from the very beginning in terms of screening, when the appointment was to be made.”

A LEVEL HIGHER THAN MAGU

In a very coordinated investigation, reporters at DENISAURUS News discovered that a section of the EFCC Act 2004 has always been misconstrued by government officials, who should be in a better position to advice the President.

According to the Vice President, Mr Magu does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

However, on the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (Chairman of EFCC), the EFCC Act 2004, S.2 (1a) (i-ii) stipulates thus, “A Chairman, who shall be the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Commission. Be a ‘Serving or Retired’ Member of ANY government SECURITY or LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY not below the Rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent and possess not less than fifteen years cognate experience.”

On interpretation of the above, DENISAURUS News discovered that the highlighted part of the Section of the EFCC Act above, is usually not displayed/ interpreted properly. Thereby short-changing other qualified members of Security or Law Enforcement Agencies.

From the forgoing, it is understood that, Security or Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria includes; Department of States Services DSS, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, National Intelligence Agency NIA, Nigeria Police Force NPF, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Nigeria Customs Service NCS, Nigeria Army NA (Military), among others.

Unfortunately, the point here is that, at any time a government decides to appoint an EFCC Chair, all other Security and Law Enforcement Agencies are not considered except ONLY One. Most astonishing, is that even from within the EFCC, exist officers who have all the required qualification and requirements to take up this saddle.

You will recall that upon assuming office in 2015, President Buhari had in November 2015 sacked the erstwhile EFCC Chair, Ibrahim Lamorde. Who was immediately replaced with Ibrahim Magu, owing to an arrangement between the godfather of Mr Magu, NSA Babagana Monguno.

The trio believes that an EFCC core managerial operative should not be asked to take over, as the Officer may not protect their interest and could expose their many dealings to PMB. On this ground, in order to prevent the Investigation of Mr Lamorde and not reveal the case against the NSA at the Anti-graft agency, Mr Magu was recommended to PMB, who do not have knowledge of their scheme.

Today, for fear of the profile of one of the EFCC core managerial operative, Mr Magu alongside his Godfather had engaged in scheming and labelling the Officer and others as disgruntled. This they did by giving a dog a bad name, just to hang it. Further, Mr Magu suspended the EFCC core staff for over a year now since 2015 with impunity, for mere fact he assumed they are whistle blowers who had exposed the atrocities of Ibrahim Lamorde to President Buhari.

To make matters worse, Mr Magu did everything he could, including using some staff, in trying to frame-up the officer all to no avail because they could not find anything against the officer. The anti-graft agency’s boss went ahead to try to cajole the Presidency, that the Officer and others were involved in “Espionage” as a way to aggravate his hatred, bullying and victimisation of EFCC core staff. This didn’t work for Mr Magu and his Godfather, as they forget that PMB is a veteran Intelligence Officer, with vast knowledge of Nigeria Security and Law Enforcement Agencies.

Other sources within the anti-graft agency say “Mr Magu had gone as far as suspending this EFCC core managerial operative, despite being his senior based on security and law enforcement ranking, with the hope that the intimidating profile of the officer would not get to the ears of President Buhari”.

To make matters worse, staff members say “several other EFCC managerial staff had called Mr Magu’s attention to the fact that, he should not have treated such Officer with disdain, but rather, anyone who caution the Anti-graft agency’s boss was meted with victimisation and bullying too”. In some cases, Mr Magu will transfer or post them out of their professional postings, just to make them redundant for daring to advise him on such impunity.

For fear of retribution, a staff member spoke on condition of anonymity, thus, “I understand that based on ranking in Security and Law Enforcement Agency, the said EFCC Core Managerial Operative whom Mr Magu had been victimizing since December 2015 to date, his rank is even an equivalent of ‘Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG’ on GL. 17, yet Mr Magu is a Deputy Commissioner of Police on GL.15”.

Meanwhile, an anonymous Police Officer who felt bitter in the way and manner in which Mr Magu had treated the EFCC core managerial operative, “wondered why President Buhari had not made an in- depth clandestine investigation to ascertain what is really going on at the anti-graft agency under Mr Magu.”

Another source, who does not want to be named, says “If I am or was in the shoe of this EFCC core managerial operative, I would have exploded and sought the attention of PMB to address the impunity of Mr Magu.”

A close ally of the Borno born Acting Chairman, said: “I learnt that the EFCC core managerial operative had experiences ranging from fifteen 15 years at NDLEA, and over twelve years at the EFCC. This sum up to over twenty 27 years Security and Law Enforcement experiences. No wonder our friend had been shivering over the profile of the Officer, coupled with other academics and International trainings acquired by him”.

A police officer who believes in justice, without any form of bias explained that “when, I even looked at all of these allegations and exposé on Mr Magu, my opinion and advice to PMB is that there had been so much acrimony. As a result, it is advisable that the President take a ‘Unique’ decision to look at another way to reposition the EFCC.

This, I will suggest that PMB gets an EFCC core managerial operative different from the usual Seconded Policemen, Who is from a different Region of the Country not like the usual, and Who is of different Faith unlike the usual trend at the Anti-graft agency. This will lay to rest any form of complaints, which have been lingering since the reign of alleged impunity under the former EFCC boss, Mr Lamorde till date under Mr Magu.”

In a new twist, there has been news that the former EFCC boss, Mr Lamorde, who was relieved of his position at the EFCC, has now been reappointed to the Nigeria Police Force NPF, Special Fraud Unit SFU, Lagos. It is saddening that in spite of the bulk of allegations on this Commissioner of Police CP, Mr Lamorde was given this honour to go and head another Crime Fighting Agency.

DENISAURUS News would like to ask, do we keep a record of Political Office Holders in Nigeria? Or is it that at the NPF, there used to be a “DELETE” of such records. We believe questions should be put to two major officers on this issue if Ibrahim Lamorde. That is to say, Sir Mike Okiro of Police Service Commission and IGP Ibrahim K Idris, the Inspector General of Police. Two things are involved, either one of these two were protected in the past by Mr Lamorde, or certain things must have exchanged hands.

Recently, there was a fire spatting between past EFCC bosses, Nuhu Ribadu and Farida Waziri. The pioneer Chair, Mallam Ribadu, had in a lecture he presented alleged that Farida destroyed his fight against corruption. But in reaction, Madam Farida lambasted Mallam Ribadu, intimating him on how she had cleaned up the mess committed by the trio of Mallam Ribadu, Mr Lamorde and Mr Magu during their reign between 2003 to 2008.

Further, Madam Farida threw more light on the diversion of “Assets Recoveries” without documentation, and how Mallam Ribadu possibly benefited from Slush “Arms Deal Fund” popularly known as #DASUKIGATE, when he was engaged in Political Prostitution and contested the 2015 Adamawa Governorship Election. Part of this, was corroborated by DENISAURUS News in past reports.

Similarly, recently, the blackmailing antics of Mr Magu resurfaced. As it has always been, the use of Sahara Reporters an ally of the Anti-graft agency’s boss against PMB’s Appointees and Associates, came up once again. Their detest for most especially the Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, Gen AB Dambazau, AGF Abubakar Malami, DG DSS Lawal M Daura, Lt Gen TY Buratai, Alhaji Mamman Daura et al known no bound. Recently, there was news that CoS Mr Kyari took ill and was rushed to the United Kingdom for medical attention. Even on health ground, SR did not spare the CoS, but rather still try to project the image of Mr Magu, and making it seems CoS was the impediment and not Mr Magu’s impunity as the problem.

Further, the DSS had in October 2016 forwarded its detailed yet “indicting report” to the NASS. Expectations abounds on why such a report would be hidden, when several allegations revealed the impunity and atrocities committed by Mr Magu. Thus, Daily Trust, a print media had hinted on how some Senators are agitating for the Senate President Bukola Saraki to lay bare all that is involved, in order to move forward.

Some staffers say that “PMB should seek attention of the Department of State Service DSS, in order to ascertain the genuineness of all these allegations on Mr Magu,” as this will give the Anti-graft agency a new face lift, and reposition it for greater task ahead in 2017.

Calls were put across to the EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, to enquire on the issue of the EFCC core managerial operative and other core staff affected, but as usual Mr Uwujaren would not respond to calls, at the time of filing this report.