Nigerians Call for Open Inquiry into Allegations of Graft Against Anti-Corruption Chief
July 20 2020 By Abiodun Giwa and Ayofe Samson
Ibrahim Magu and Muhammed Buhari
Ibrahim Magu, chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, recently ran into a storm over allegations of graft, after five years in the saddle, and unconfirmed by the legislature, and remained unconfirmed to the time before his suspension due to questionable credentials.
Magu was ordered detained by the federal government over consequent to unsubstantiated allegations of corruption from the office of Abubakar Malami, the justice minister. While Magu was in detention, the government staged a secret investigation with a panel of inquiry headed by a former Appeal Court judge.
The panel of inquiry sat inside the presidential lodge, Abuja. No news reporter from any media organization was allowed to cover the panel's proceedings. If the media was allowed access to any information at all, it was only allowed access to information cleared by the panel of inquiry or through Magu's lawyer.
Rather than the secrecy format to ensure no unconfirmed information leaks or to avoid rumors, members of the public say it accentuated leaks and rumors. There were unconfirmed information of money recovered by the EFCC developing legs and walking to some prominent Nigerians.
One of such Nigerians is the country's Vice President Yemi Osibajo, alleged to have benefitted from Magu to the tune of N4-billion. Another information said Femi Falana, a human right lawyer and activist allegedly benefited to the tune of N28-million. While another person - a member of the clergy was said to have helped Magu to purchase a home in the United Arab Emirate, UAE, with N350-million. But the guy said he was only a prayer manager for the anti-corruption chief and knew nothing about a house purchase..
All the individuals rumored to have benefited from Magu have each threatened fire and brimstone that if the allegations against them are not retracted, court actions should be expected. Meanwhile, Nigerians watch the scene with unbelief as Magu was released from detention at the end of 10 days without any statement of indictment of the allegations against him, his lawyer said. And government officials and government apologists said Magu's detention and preliminary investigation was necessary to convince Nigerians that no one is above the law, especially in relation to the fight against corruption. No one is certain what happens from this juncture other than that Magu said he has no plan to sue the government for wrongful detention.
Many Nigerians have decried the secret investigation against Magu and the EFCC in general. They say that the inference here is that with the chairman of the EFCC under investigation for allegations of corruption against him, the entire EFFC and its officers are under investigation.
Therefore, they say such investigation ought to be open to ensure transparency and accountability. "Currently, EFCC appears to be the heart of Nigeria as a transparent organization or an organization expected to be transparent and be accountable. But with this unusual incidence of corruption surrounding it, I will advise the federal government to conduct an open investigation that will be covered by the entire media to give the organization back its ground," said Taiwo Adeyanju, resident of Newark, New Jersey, United States, who believes that the EFCC has lost relevance in term of its duty from the graft allegation against its chairman.
Eva French , a graduate student of Public Administration at Rutgers University said, "I believe there should be an open investigation, given Nigeria's history with corruption and covering-up of crimes. There has to be a measure of
accountability which an open investigation will provide."
Powell Okuru, electric engineering graduate currently a National Youth Service Corps member reinforces the need for an open investigation. He said there is an element of truth in the allegations and there are reasons for anyone to believe the allegations. "If not, where are the monies recovered from the looters? He was asked by the Senate to give account of the sum the agency has recovered under his watch. He couldn't." Powell concludes the matter be left for the court to decide his fate, saying an accused is innocent until proven guilty. "If the case warrants an open door, good. Otherwise, such case should be behind closed doors."
Adebunmi David, a radio reporter said, " Our leaders are so corrupt and one man cannot fight corruption in Nigeria. We are in a democracy and this allows the investigation to be open for the world to see if they have nothing to hide."
"The whole essence of Ibrahim Magu's travail boils down to vendetta. Magu's operation method makes it hard for the untouchable to go unpunished, and this had led to collective witch-hunt against him. Magu has stepped on toes of the powerful and the so called above the law personalities," Olusegun Soboyejo, a radio technician declared, a reminder that one 'insubordination' one is of the allegations against Magu. Soboyejo said that the investigation should have been open to media coverage
to give credence to the investigation and allow public opinion either in favor or against Magu.
Olusanya Kehinde, a student of Business Administration at the University of Ado-Ekiti said that based on available information, Magu definitely has questions to answer like he has some houses overseas that he was going on a private jet to check without anybody being informed. "As the EFCC chairman, he was not open enough and he has not declared his assets." Kehinde added that Magu's sensitive position requires public interest and people are interested in his ultimate fate from his current ordeal as the reason the investigation should be open for better impartation of knowledge about governance and accountability.
"In a sane and informed society, EFCC chairman should be in a court to state his side of the story to an impartial umpire. And everything should be in the open," said Mr. Tunde Ekutti, a Nigerian engineer in Rhodes Island.
Bosede Oguje, currently a graduate student of Public Administration at Rutgers University in the U.S.said that uncorroborated allegations of personal enrichment and money exchanging hands from Magu to others, and as chairman of the EFCC, he should be arrested and make to tell all that he knows in the alleged nefarious deals.
The EFCC was established in 2003 to fight corruption in the country. Magu was appointed into office by President Muhammed Buhari. His appointment has remained unconfirmed due to country's senate has described as questionable credentials. But the president insisted on having Magu as head of the EFCC.
With the secrecy of the preliminary investigation into the allegations against anti-corruption chief, many Nigerians are at a loss and don't want to believe and who to trust. Nigerians are reportedly rattled about the allegations against the anti-corruption chief, believing that an organ relied upon to fight corruption has itself been compromised by corruption.
Magu was ordered detained by the federal government over consequent to unsubstantiated allegations of corruption from the office of Abubakar Malami, the justice minister. While Magu was in detention, the government staged a secret investigation with a panel of inquiry headed by a former Appeal Court judge.
The panel of inquiry sat inside the presidential lodge, Abuja. No news reporter from any media organization was allowed to cover the panel's proceedings. If the media was allowed access to any information at all, it was only allowed access to information cleared by the panel of inquiry or through Magu's lawyer.
Rather than the secrecy format to ensure no unconfirmed information leaks or to avoid rumors, members of the public say it accentuated leaks and rumors. There were unconfirmed information of money recovered by the EFCC developing legs and walking to some prominent Nigerians.
One of such Nigerians is the country's Vice President Yemi Osibajo, alleged to have benefitted from Magu to the tune of N4-billion. Another information said Femi Falana, a human right lawyer and activist allegedly benefited to the tune of N28-million. While another person - a member of the clergy was said to have helped Magu to purchase a home in the United Arab Emirate, UAE, with N350-million. But the guy said he was only a prayer manager for the anti-corruption chief and knew nothing about a house purchase..
All the individuals rumored to have benefited from Magu have each threatened fire and brimstone that if the allegations against them are not retracted, court actions should be expected. Meanwhile, Nigerians watch the scene with unbelief as Magu was released from detention at the end of 10 days without any statement of indictment of the allegations against him, his lawyer said. And government officials and government apologists said Magu's detention and preliminary investigation was necessary to convince Nigerians that no one is above the law, especially in relation to the fight against corruption. No one is certain what happens from this juncture other than that Magu said he has no plan to sue the government for wrongful detention.
Many Nigerians have decried the secret investigation against Magu and the EFCC in general. They say that the inference here is that with the chairman of the EFCC under investigation for allegations of corruption against him, the entire EFFC and its officers are under investigation.
Therefore, they say such investigation ought to be open to ensure transparency and accountability. "Currently, EFCC appears to be the heart of Nigeria as a transparent organization or an organization expected to be transparent and be accountable. But with this unusual incidence of corruption surrounding it, I will advise the federal government to conduct an open investigation that will be covered by the entire media to give the organization back its ground," said Taiwo Adeyanju, resident of Newark, New Jersey, United States, who believes that the EFCC has lost relevance in term of its duty from the graft allegation against its chairman.
Eva French , a graduate student of Public Administration at Rutgers University said, "I believe there should be an open investigation, given Nigeria's history with corruption and covering-up of crimes. There has to be a measure of
accountability which an open investigation will provide."
Powell Okuru, electric engineering graduate currently a National Youth Service Corps member reinforces the need for an open investigation. He said there is an element of truth in the allegations and there are reasons for anyone to believe the allegations. "If not, where are the monies recovered from the looters? He was asked by the Senate to give account of the sum the agency has recovered under his watch. He couldn't." Powell concludes the matter be left for the court to decide his fate, saying an accused is innocent until proven guilty. "If the case warrants an open door, good. Otherwise, such case should be behind closed doors."
Adebunmi David, a radio reporter said, " Our leaders are so corrupt and one man cannot fight corruption in Nigeria. We are in a democracy and this allows the investigation to be open for the world to see if they have nothing to hide."
"The whole essence of Ibrahim Magu's travail boils down to vendetta. Magu's operation method makes it hard for the untouchable to go unpunished, and this had led to collective witch-hunt against him. Magu has stepped on toes of the powerful and the so called above the law personalities," Olusegun Soboyejo, a radio technician declared, a reminder that one 'insubordination' one is of the allegations against Magu. Soboyejo said that the investigation should have been open to media coverage
to give credence to the investigation and allow public opinion either in favor or against Magu.
Olusanya Kehinde, a student of Business Administration at the University of Ado-Ekiti said that based on available information, Magu definitely has questions to answer like he has some houses overseas that he was going on a private jet to check without anybody being informed. "As the EFCC chairman, he was not open enough and he has not declared his assets." Kehinde added that Magu's sensitive position requires public interest and people are interested in his ultimate fate from his current ordeal as the reason the investigation should be open for better impartation of knowledge about governance and accountability.
"In a sane and informed society, EFCC chairman should be in a court to state his side of the story to an impartial umpire. And everything should be in the open," said Mr. Tunde Ekutti, a Nigerian engineer in Rhodes Island.
Bosede Oguje, currently a graduate student of Public Administration at Rutgers University in the U.S.said that uncorroborated allegations of personal enrichment and money exchanging hands from Magu to others, and as chairman of the EFCC, he should be arrested and make to tell all that he knows in the alleged nefarious deals.
The EFCC was established in 2003 to fight corruption in the country. Magu was appointed into office by President Muhammed Buhari. His appointment has remained unconfirmed due to country's senate has described as questionable credentials. But the president insisted on having Magu as head of the EFCC.
With the secrecy of the preliminary investigation into the allegations against anti-corruption chief, many Nigerians are at a loss and don't want to believe and who to trust. Nigerians are reportedly rattled about the allegations against the anti-corruption chief, believing that an organ relied upon to fight corruption has itself been compromised by corruption.
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