EFCC Chairman Position: Buhari Sticking With Magu

* Mr President set to overrule DSS
There are indications that President
Muhammadu Buhari will insist on Mr. Ibrahim
Magu becoming the substantive chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) after the Senate has twice turned down
his confirmation.
The President appears set to overrule the
Department of State Services (DSS) whose
report had said that Magu was not fit for the
seat. The man has helped Nigeria recover more
money than all EFCC bosses put together in the
same period, so who are those that are scared
of him?
The President, it was learnt, will soon make his
position on the embattled acting EFCC boss
known.
A Presidency source who spoke with our
correspondent in confidence, told The Nation
that Buhari has a soft spot for Magu.
The source, an insider in power politics in the
Presidency, said: “Personally, the President
prefers Magu and he is standing by him. As at
this week, the position of the President has not
changed.
“There is no doubt that the President’s advisers
have recommended the retention of Magu and
he is likely to heed their advice.
“As I am talking to you, there is no fresh
security report or any updated information
which can make Buhari to turn against Magu.
So, he is likely to stand by his letter to the
Senate .
“At personal level, Buhari has confided in his key
aides that he wants Magu in charge of EFCC.”
Responding to a question, the Presidency source
said “the President will soon make his official
position known on this matter. He has received a
letter from the Senate, and he is studying why
Magu was rejected by the chamber.”
Another source said the President might
“overrule the DSS, but he will address the crisis
of confidence among his strategic aides.”
At press time, it was learnt that the DSS was
adamant in its opposition to Magu.
Although a memo on Magu from the DSS to the
Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar
Malami (SAN) leaked to the press yesterday,
there were indications that it was part of the
plot to stop Buhari from re-nominating the
Acting EFCC chair.
In the memo, which Magu had responded to, the
DSS attached 12 documents against Magu.
The memo, signed by Folashade Bello for the DG
of DSS, said in part: “ I am directed to forward
the attached documents in respect of the report
earlier dispatched by this Service to the
Presidency on the Acting Chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) Ibrahim MAGU.
“They are marked annexures A to L and are
highlighted as follows:
Annexure ‘A’ – This is a copy of minutes
of the 20th Plenary Meeting of the Police
Service Commission on 20th December,
2010, chaired by Mr. Parry B. O.
OSAYANDE (DIG/Rtd) who was then
Chairman of the Commission. The
minutes indicate that MAGU was indicted
after a disciplinary process and awarded
Severe Reprimand for “Action prejudicial
to state security, Withholding of EFFC
files) Sabotage, Unauthorised removal of
EFCC files and Acts unbecoming of a
Police Officer.” It is worthy to note here
that Severe Reprimand is the second
highest punishment to be given to an
erring officer, other than compulsory
retirement or dismissal from Service.
Annexure ‘B’- This is a copy of the
confessional statement of Air Commodore
Mohammmed UMAR (Rtd), a suspect
hitherto detained and currently being
prosecuted by the Service. The statement
affirms his ownership of Valcour S.A
Nigeria Limited, a company awarded the
contract of securing and furnishing an
official residence for Ibrahim MAGU by
the FCTA. Investigation revealed that this
was facilitated after MAGU was earlier
shown the residence by one Uche ALEKA,
a close business associate of UMAR, who
was introduced to MAGU by the former.
Annexure ‘C’- This is a forged Memo
which supposedly originated from the
office of the Vice President and addressed
to Mr. President. This was recovered from
the private residence of UMAR during a
search operation by this Service. The
document is a request for approval to
commence further investigation into
financial activities of Honourable Minister
of State for Petroleum Resources) Ibe
KACHIKWU. Also attached to the Memo
are two (2) genuine investigation reports
.by EFCC on the Honourable Minister,
dated 24th March, 2016 & 13th April,
2016 and duly signed by MAGU. One of
the two (2) attachments indicates that
the original investigation report earlier
was purportedly received in the VP’s
office by one Folabo KAY.
Annexure ‘D’- This is a letter from the
Office of the Vice President affirming that
Annexure “C” is a forged document.
Annexure ‘E’- This is a copy of Progress
report with reference number SH/ COS/
24/ A/7277 dated 25th May) 2016 on
NNPC/ NLG Brass Investment Accounts
in Nigerian Commercial Banks from Chief
of Staff to Mr. President, Abba KYARI to
the Acting EFCC Chairman. The letter is
an official/classified document of’ the
EFCC which was duly received by the
Commission as indicated by the stamp
on the document. However, it was
recovered at UMAR’s residence.
Annexure “F’ – These are photocopies of
Managers’ cheques of First Bank PLC and
Zenith Bank PLC) issued in favour of EFCC
Recovery Funds Account on 13/05/2016 and
16/05/2016,n respectively. These are all
sensitive official documents of the EFCC found in
UMAR’s residence during the search.
Annexure ‘G’- A classified letter from the
Office of the National Security Adviser
(ONSA) to the EFCC Chairman titled Re:
Request to Freeze Accounts Messers
Bebey: Merchant Ltd and 20 others,
dated 7th March, 2016. This document
was also duly received by EFCC but
found in Commodore UMAR’s house
during the search.
Annexure ‘H’- A document which
emanated from Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and
addressed to the EFCC Chairman on 6th
May, 2016 with the subject, Re: Stop
Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and
Subsidiaries- A case for Joint Venture &
NNPC Pension Funds Accounts. The
document was recovered at UMAR’s
residence.
Annexure ‘I’- NNPC Letter GED/
F&A/08.26 dated 5th May, 2016
addressed to the EFCC Chairman and
titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC
Accounts and Subsidiaries. This was also
discovered during the search of
UMAR’s residence.
Annexure ‘J’- This is a copy of NNPC
correspondence with reference number
GED/F&A/08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and
titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC
Accounts and Subsidiaries- Transfer of
FCT Balances to NNPC’s TSA Accounts,
addressed to the EFCC Chairman. The
document was found in UMAR’s
residence.
xi. Annexure “‘K’ – A copy of an NNPC
letter with reference number GED/
F&A/08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and
titled Re: Stop Debit on all NNPC
Accounts and Subsidiaries- Critical
Accounts for immediate operations to the
EFCC Chairman. The document was also
recovered during the search of UMAR)s
house.
xii. Annexure ‘L’ Copy of Confessional
Statement by UMAR to the Service
stating that his trip to Maiduguri for
condolence visit to Ibrahim MAGU, sequel
to the loss of a close relative, was made
on behalf of the Presidential Committee
on Audit of Arms Purchase. Cross
examination of the Chairman of the
Committee, AVM John ODE (Rtd),
revealed that the committee did not send
any of its members on such an
assignment. The visit of UMAR to MAGU
is therefore assessed as an expression of
their close sinister relationship at the
detriment of National Security interests.
In his response to a query by the AGF based on
the DSS memo, Magu had, however, faulted all
the allegations and the documents.
He said Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd)
never served as a front for him.
He said: “Sir, it is important to situate my
relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar
(rtd), in proper perspective.
“Our paths crossed when we became members
of the Presidential Committee on the
investigation on arms procurement. He was
instrumental in getting some of the information
that helped the committee to make significant
breakthrough in its assignment.
“Beyond that, the relationship between Umar and
myself is one of professional acquaintance,
devoid of issues of conflict of interest. So, it
comes to me with shock, the imputation by the
DSS that we have a “mutually beneficial
relationship”.
“This appears suggestive that Mohammed and I
were involved in activities that could be said to
be untoward. I certainly have no knowledge of
such activities.
“The claim that EFCC documents, including EFCC
letters addressed to the Vice President and being
investigation reports on the activities of
Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Dumebi
Kachikwu, were found in his home during a
search by the DSS came to me as a surprise.
“ If that is correct, he should be made to
disclose how he came by such documents. I
never discussed my official duties with him let
alone give him documents pertaining to
investigations being conducted by the
Commission.
“Interestingly, Mohammed was detained for
several months by the DSS. In all those months,
did he claim that I mandated him to commit any
crime or that I was an accomplice to any crime?
If there is any such claim, I will wholeheartedly
like to be confronted with the allegation.
“It is interesting to note that when Mohammed
was eventually charged to court, the charges
against him were money laundering and illegal
possession of firearms, and nothing related to
my purported “shady” relationship with him.”
Magu explained the circumstances in which
EFCC files were found in his house after the
removal of the pioneer Chairman of EFCC,
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
He said: “It is true that my residence was
searched on the orders of Mrs. Farida Waziri,
shortly after she succeeded Mallam Nuhu
Ribadu as Chairman of the EFCC and some
documents relating to cases under investigation
were found in my house. At the time of the raid,
I was yet to formally hand over to my successor,
Umar Sanda, as head of the Economic
Governance Unit.
“My schedule at the time warranted that I
worked round the clock and it was impossible to
conclude all assignments without working at
home.
“The documents found in my house were
actually found in my office bag where I kept
documents relating to investigations. I was in
the process of handing over and it would be
wrong to suggest that I willfully kept the
Commission’s files at home.
“Nevertheless, the incident was thoroughly
investigated by the police as I was placed on
suspension without pay for 20 months. But in
the end, I was reprimanded, recalled and
promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“It is important, sir, to draw your attention to
the fact that some of us that worked closely
with Ribadu were victimised after his exit.
“And my ordeal was orchestrated as punishment
for being the chief investigative officer for most
of the high profile cases involving politically
exposed persons some of whom became very
influential in government at the time.
On the N39.8 million apartment rented for him,
Magu said it was false that the house was also
furnished for N43 million.
He added: “I live in the official residence of the
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC). This accommodation,
contrary to the report of the DSS, is not my
private home, neither was it rented and
furnished for me by Commodore Umar
Mohammed (rtd).
“It was rented and furnished by the Ministry of
the Federal Capital Territory through the Abuja
Metropolitan Management Council, under the
safe house scheme.
“It is also false that the house was rented for
N20 million per annum and furnished for N43
million. The entire cost for both two-year rent
and the furnishing of the house is N39.628
million.
“Details of the transaction are contained in the
contract award letter and payment schedule
which are attached to this letter.”
He described the two times he flew in a private
jet with Air Commodore Mohammed Umar, who
was investigated by the DSS, as harmless
gestures.
He said: “Honourable Minister, the claim that I
have a penchant for expensive air travels in a
private jet belonging to Commodore Mohammed
is baseless. The two times I can recall travelling
in Commodore Umar’s aircraft, were on a trip
from Kano to Abuja, and Abuja to Maiduguri.
“In the first instance, I had gone to Kano on an
official assignment with two of my directors, and
Mohammed who was on his way back to Abuja
offered us a ride in his jet. The second occasion
was when I was going to see my sick mother in
Maiduguri.
“These, for me, were harmless gestures as we
were both members of the presidential
investigative committee on arms procurement. At
the time I had no knowledge that he was under
investigation for any alleged crimes.
“Claims that I flew in Mohammed’s jet to
Maiduguri in company of the Managing Director
of Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, is false.
“I have never flown in a private aircraft with any
managing director of any bank let alone one that
was under investigation by my agency. I have
no personal relationship whatsoever with him.”
Meanwhile, there were indications that some
Senators opposed to Magu have initiated a plot
to “suspend a former Senate Leader, Sen. Ali
Ndume for allegedly backing Magu and raising
some observations against the President of the
Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Chairman of
the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino
Melaye.
The observations made the Senate to ask its
Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate
how the chamber came about a N300 million
SUV and the row over Melaye’s graduation from
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
A reliable source said: “The anti-Magu Senators
are accusing Ndume of acting a script to
destabilise the Senate and they are plotting his
suspension from the chamber.
“Since the rejection of Magu, there has been
cold war between those pro-EFCC chairman and
those opposed. Ndume is regarded as the
arrowhead of Magu’s sympathisers who are
trying to fight the Senate.
“Once the Ethics and Privileges Committee
submits its report, Ndume may be suspended for
“subversive activities against the Senate.
“But some Senators have asked their colleagues
to ‘ignore Ndume’s nuisance’ since his
candidate was rejected.”