…questions EFCC boss for 12 hours as agency’s secretary, directors appear at sitting
. Panel orders officials to produce files of all seized assets, cash releases since 2015
The Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Panel probing the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday grilled the “Magu Boys,” operatives of the agency loyal to and favoured by the suspended acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
Sources listed some of the “Magu Boys” who appeared before the panel to include Bashir Abdullahi, Ishiaku Sharo, Bala Silas Sanga, Abubakar Madaki and Ibrahim Ahmed.
The panel also ordered some of the agency’s directors and heads of departments, who appeared before it during Thursday’s sitting to produce before it within seven days files of cases handled by the EFCC since 2015, including those of forfeited assets and all cash releases in the past five years.
The “Magu Boys” have been accused of committing several atrocities, including blackmailing and extorting suspects, appropriating exhibits to themselves and selling off forfeited or seized assets without remitting the proceeds to government coffers.
Sources at the panel said the directors absolved themselves of involvement in funds diversion at the agency.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Magu, had listed some of these allegations in his recent memo to the President.
Earlier, the EFCC Director of Organisation, Bolaji Salami, a police commissioner, was grilled by the panel for several hours.
Salami, who is the current commissioner of police in Ondo State, testified earlier before the panel before the suspended EFCC Chairman, Magu took the floor, again.
MAGU GRILLED AGAIN FOR 12 HOURS
On Thursday, Magu himself was grilled again for 12 hours by the presidential panel before he was taken back to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, where he spent the fourth night in police custody.
Sources said Magu arrived at the Aso Villa Banquet Hall as early as 9am and subsequently interrogated by Salami and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, FCID, Mike Ogbezi.
His trial before the Presidential Panel continues today.
Recall that Magu was arrested on Monday by a combined team of officials of the Department of State Services and Force Criminal Investigation Department after he failed to honour two invitations from the Presidential Panel headed by Justice Salami, a former president of the Court of Appeal.
Magu, who has been in police custody since his arrest on Monday, was interrogated for the third time on Wednesday. The panel questioned the embattled anti-graft agency’s boss on properties he allegedly acquired in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
On Thursday, the panel grilled Magu for the fourth day running, with the EFCC Secretary, Olanipekun Olukoyede, and other directors also questioned on the agency’s operations since 2015, when their suspended boss took over its leadership.
Justice Salami’s Presidential Panel began sitting three weeks ago, but was only able to compel Magu to appear before it last Monday.
The acting EFCC boss has been detained since his arrest while the agency’s Director of Operations, Umar Mohammed, has taken over its running in an acting capacity.
There is yet no official pronouncement on the suspension of Magu and the appointment of an acting chairman.
Afenifere demands ministers’ sacking for stopping school resumption
Sack Adamu, Nwajiuba for stopping school resumption, Afenifere tells Buhari
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has kicked against Federal Government’s decision to keep schools across the country closed indefinitely.
The group also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu for planning to ground education for a year.
It also called for the removal of the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.
Secretary General of the association, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, said the Federal Government should have allowed pupils to resume and find means of protecting them against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said, “Adamu Adamu should be sacked. He cannot bring our school system back to the stone age. They had about six months to plan for these children, what did the Federal Government do?
“It means the two of them (Adamu and the Minister of State for Education) don’t know what they are doing, so they should go. I think the two ministers in the ministry should go. Why would one say the pupils should resume to take their paper in August and the other minister would come and reverse the order?”