Ramlahmed:
Ibrahim Magu, an Epitome of Corruption and Incompetence

The incumbent acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has continued to exhibit incompetence and unprofessionalism in managing the affairs of the agency after five years of serving in an acting capacity. Since his assumption to office, the Commission has witnessed a drastic decline in terms of carrying out its mandate in fighting Economic and Financial crimes.

This worrying development led to the recent call by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, AbubakarMalami for the sack of Magu over a twenty-two count of weighty allegations. The allegations include the diversion of recovered loots among others. This clearly shows the extent the current chairman has abused the exalted office for personal aggrandizement.

One of the reasons for The EFCC boss’s non-confirmation by the Senate was that he was occupying a residence rented for him by one Umar Mohammed, a retired air commodore and a questionable businessman who was once arrested by the nation’s secret police. The said apartment was rented for N40m and was furnished at the cost of N43m by a company known as Africa Energy owned by Mohammed. The contract was secured after the EFCC chairman coerced the Federal Capital Development Authority to award the contract to the Rtd. Air commodore.

Magu was also characterized by frequent unofficial trips via a private jet owned by the retired air commodore of which he was spotted on one of the trips alongside Mohammed and a bank MD who was being investigated by the Commission over aiding and abating Deziani Alison-Madueke in looting and laundering public funds. This again shows clearly the person of Magu and his insincerity in fighting corruption.

His flamboyant lifestyle and flagrant disobedience to Directives of President MuhammaduBuhari, his principal remains another concern. For instance, in 2016, while going to perform the lesser Hajj, Magu flew first class on an Emirate airline in spite of a standing Presidential directive prohibiting “all public servants” from flying first class.

The Senate’s blatant refusal to confirm the appointed of Magu based on a damning report from the Department of State Services (DSS) ought not to have been taken lightly by the Presidency, especially with his antecedents and closeness to corrupt government officials as well as persons of questionable characters prior to his appointment. The existing fact that EFCC Chairman was sometime in 2008 arrested and detained by the Commission after official documents which he declared missing were recovered from his house during a raid was supposed to have been considered before his appointment.

Then serving as a Chief Superintendent of Police, a laptop with classified documents, and missing case files relating to Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) investigations, and that of convicted former Inspector General of Police (IGP) TafaBalogun was found in his Lagos residence during the search. This was after Magu had declared the case files missing.

Magu has a penchant for going against individuals for personal reasons, and he normally executes his personal operations through his police cronies. These characters often identified as “Magu’s boys” are popular in the Federal Capital Territory due to their extra-vagrant lifestyles. They are notorious with driving exotic cars and they all own properties in highbrow areas which ordinarily, a public official cannot afford to purchase with their legitimate income.

In a never-ending display of ineptitude, Magu has continuously driven the Buhari administration's anti-corruption crusade aground with his lack of foresight and a high level of ignorance on core objectives and administrational procedures for the professional development of the Commission in fulfilling its statuary mandate.

The EFCC Chairman has on several occasions been on the headline of news with corruption allegations stemming from lack of remittance of recovered looted funds to the Federal Government. For instance, he was accused of diverting N750 million which was released for the anti-corruption crusade and when asked Magu was unable to account for the funds. The staff of the commission who sought to revamp of some policies aimed at deterring corruption in the commission were suspended with Magu accusing them of being in cahoots with the DSS who had written a revealing and damning report about him.

In 2017, a presidential panel of inquiry indicted Magu for corruption. In a statement issued by OkoiObono-Obla, he was accused of protecting corrupt ex-governors and senators. These allegations against the EFCC chairman is not because he is on the trail of corrupt individuals but rather because he isn't good at covering his tracks.

The same Maguapproached Billionaire, AlikoDangotedemanding the sum of N100 million bribe to halt corruption investigations instituted by the Kano State Government against the dethroned Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank, SanusiLamidoSanusi.

Though the head of the anti-corruption crusade may be corrupt, we must acknowledge the Commission for its recorded successes including several arrests and parading of fraudsters holding laptops, and regular midrange cars which seem to always be on the front page of the commission's website.

The Buhari administration campaigned on the tripod of economic growth through diversification, unparalleled infrastructures development and anti-corruption, in all this area of focus the anti-corruption war has been the most ridiculed with Magu as the head of the country’s lead anti-corruption commission even as he has epitomized incompetence and corruption, the very hydra-headed monster he is supposed to be as war with.

Hkatago:
If DSS hold u for mind, forget em...them go go after u eventually...Na Magu story be that.

Ramlahmed:
With all these, you would think the Government would do something to rid itself of Magu.....Guess What? it just did. The Head of the Anti-Corruption engine room has been arrested by a non-corrupt law enforcement agency. Finally, the fight against corruption has officially begun.