👤 Danjuma Aliyu, DENISAURUS News

Nigerians have lambasted Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for mixing politics with his administrative duties.

The 56-year-old is said to have involved himself in politics when the EFCC, which he superintends launched an attack against The Honkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), because the finance facilities established in 1865 predicted doom for President Muhammadu Buhari in the coming elections.

The banking giant, one of those who predicted President Buhari’s win in 2015, saw a reversal of fortune for the 75-year-old in the February 2019 election.

In their recent report they said President Buhari would stunt the economy and that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will win against the President’s All Progressives Congress.

Days after the report had circulated the web, the Government spokesperson; Garba Shehu issued a statement against the bank.

The Spokesperson said the bank was used to launder more than USD 100,000,000 for a former a Military ruler, General Sani Abacha in Jersey, Paris, London and Geneva.

Mr Shehu, a Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, said: “Our investigation agencies believe that HSBC had laundered more than USD 100,000,000 for the late General Sani Abacha in Jersey, Paris, London and Geneva.

“Among these accounts on the records are: AC: S-104460 HSBC Fund Admin Ltd. Jersey ($12,000,000); AC 37060762 HSBC Life (Europe), U.K ($20,000,000) and AC: 38175076 HSBC Bank Plc. U.K ($1,600,000).

On the same day, Magu’s EFCC released a similar statement, describing the banking giant as an organisation “synonymous with money laundering.”

“HSBC Bank plc is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. HSBC’s international network comprises around 7,500 offices in over 80 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.

“Since inception, HSBC is synonymous with money laundering and has paid billions of US Dollars in fines across the world,” the EFCC post on Facebook further read.

Recently, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami secured the return of more than $300 million dollars Abacha Loot hidden in Luxembourg.

READ ALSO : The Truth About Them Ghost Recoveries And The Repatriated Funds From Switzerland

The country is in the process of recovering another $500 million believed to have been hidden in Jersey by the same man.

READ ALSO : IMPUNITY : How VP @ProfOsinbajo Is Destroying Democracy With “Rule of Men”

However, President Buhari, who served as a minister of petroleum under the leadership of General Abacha, has previously claimed that the late dictator did not steal any money.

READ ALSO : The Story of HSBC

In response to the commission’s statement about HSBC, Dauda B Abubakr questioned the motive of the EFCC boss and why the anti-graft had only just made the allegation against the bank.

”Why is this allegation coming now when HSBC accused PMB administration of blunting our economy?

“This further portrays d lack of objectivity in your fight against corruption, u ONLY persecute & harass anyone perceived to be political opponent of PMB. You are fast losing reputation, goodwill & credibility for fighting corruption,” he wrote in the EFCC Facebook page.

Mr Magu, whose nomination as the fourth substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency was rejected due to an indicting report from the Department of State Security Service, DSS, faced criticism when he first appeared on TV with the re-election lapel of President Muhammadu Buhari.

READ ALSO : DG DSS Stands By Intelligence Report Indicting Magu, Source Says

The anti-graft boss described as a perennial offender, has faced heavy criticism from the public after the Commission released the post about HSBC on its Facebook page.

The EFCC boss whose promotion was first reported in this paper, was also lambasted for wrongly writing the custom about stopping a sitting Governor from travelling out of the country.

Despite assurance from Ayo Fayose, the outgoing Ekiti governor to present himself, Mr Magu wrote to customs instead of immigration to prevent him from leaving the country.

READ ALSO : Corruption Briefing : Anti-Graft Tweet “Parri Over” To Fayose Proves That MAGU’s EFCC Is A Tool For Fighting Opposition

A promise to investigate Governor Fayose was made by the EFCC hours after his party’s lost the elections in Ekiti, which led to questions about the independence of the agency.