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.
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 over complicity in funds allegedly stolen by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
“The EFCC boss so far maintained a hog pigs profile life style. This is exemplified by his preference for first class air travel. On June 24, 2916, he flew Emirates Airlines first class to Saudi Arabia to perform the less Hajj at the cost of N2,990,196.00. This is in spite of Mr. President’s directives to all public servants to fly economic class.
According to the report, in the classified and official documents: “To cover his tracks, Magu uses solely his Police cronies to execute operations.
This, coupled with discoveries that such Police cronies have acquired a lot of landed property lends credence to the questions about his integrity.”
In its submission, the DSS said, “in the light of the foregoing, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti- corruption drive of the present administration.”
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