THE Senate yesterday refused to confirm Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, upon a security report by the Department of State Services, DSS, sparking a verbal backlash from supporters of Magu.
The 14-paragraph confidential report said that Magu has failed the integrity test and that if confirmed, he could eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the administration.
The Senate, however, gave approval for the screening of the four members of the EFCC board whose names were sent alongside Magu by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for confirmation in July while President Muhammadu Buhari was away on medical vacation.
The DSS security report, among others alleged that Magu is occupying a N20 million per year accommodation, allegedly rented for him by someone under EFCC investigation; lives a flamboyant lifestyle and flouted the President’s order against public officers flying first class when he went on pilgrimage. Some of the accusations were last night being pooh-poohed by associates of Magu.
One associate particularly debunked the accommodation allegation, saying that Magu lives in a house provided for him by the Federal Capital Territory. Addressing journalists after a closed-door session, which lasted for about three hours, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi said that the rejection was based on security reasons.
Reading a prepared statement, Senator Abdullahi said: “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that based on security reports available to the Senate; the Senate cannot proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha as Executive Chairman of EFCC.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the said nomination and has returned the said nomination to Mr. President for further action.” It would be recalled that the Senate had last week deferred Magu’s confirmation hearing to yesterday.
Vanguard gathered that the 14 paragraph DSS report signed by Folashade Bello for the Director- General of DSS was read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Bukola Saraki. Copies of the highly classified document were, however, not circulated to senators. The report was dated October 3, addressed to the Acting Clerk of the Senate and titled, “ Re: Request for Security Vetting your letter NASS/CS/SA/01/16/08/1 dated September 21, 2016 requesting for the vetting of the Chairman and members of the EFCC.
The report said: “Investigating the Chairman nominee; Ibrahim Magu revealed that in August 2008, following a search at his residence during the tenure of Farida Waziri, AIG, retd, as a Commissioner, some sensitive EFCC documents which were not supposed to be at his disposal were with him. He was subsequently redeployed to the Police after days of detention and later suspended from the force.
“In December 2010, the Police Service Commission found Magu guilty of action prejudicial to State Security, withholding of EFCC files, sabotage, unauthorized removal of EFCC files, and acts unbecoming of a Police officer and awarded him severe reprimand as punishment.
“Notwithstanding, sequel to the appointment of Ibrahim Lamorde as Chairman of EFCC in 2011, he made the return of Magu to the EFCC a top priority. Both men had worked together at the Commission when Lamorde served as head of operations of the agency; Magu remained a top official of the Commission until he was appointed to succeed Lamorde.
“Magu is currently occupying a residence rented for N40 million at N20 million per annum. This accommodation was not paid for from the Commission’s finances. “Investigations show that Magu regularly embarks on official and private trips through a private carrier, EasyJet, In one of such trips, Magu flew to Maiduguri alongside the Managing Director of a bank, who was being investigated by the Commission
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