July 28, 2008
Saharareporters, New York.
A bizarre early morning raid by an eight-member team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took place today at the Lagos residence of a former officer of the EFCC generally regarded as the 'toughest' by corrupt former governors who have crossed his path. A separate EFCC team also searched his Abuja home.
The former official has been identified as Chief Superintendent of Police Ibrahim Magu, who, until his recent posting to the Ekiti Police Command, was the head of the Economic Governance section of the EFCC, the section largely responsible for investigating corrupt former state governors nationwide.
During the unprecedented search and seizure at his Victoria Island residence, the EFCC team relieved the CSP of his weapon, mobile telephone, laptop and a file folder containing his hand-over notes. It is unclear what may have been removed from his Abuja residence. Prior to the raids, sources say that the EFCC chairwoman, Mrs. Waziri, had pointedly accused officer Magu and former acting chair of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, of setting her up to sign bail papers that were published by Saharareporters in the thick of her confirmation hearing at the Nigerian Senate. The paper, with copies of George Akume's international passports bearing her signature and title, became the most credible official evidence directly connecting Mrs. Waziri with corrupt former governors indicted by the EFCC.
Saharareporters had consistently reported that former governor James Ibori of Delta State and his Kwara State counterpart, Bukola Saraki, were behind the recruitment of Mrs. Waziri as the new head of the EFCC. Her kinsmen, mostly Tivs from Benue State that include the Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, and a justice of the Supreme Court, Aloysius Katsina –Alu, later supported the appointment.
So far, and despite her repeated public promises to step on powerful toes, Mrs. Waziri has failed to arrest and prosecute George Akume for corruption. This is despite the fact that sources have confirmed to Saharareporters that his case file and those of the former governors of Rivers State, Peter Odili, former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Sanni Yerima, and Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, are ready for prosecution.
Mrs. Waziri's media propaganda has, however, deftly continued to spin the story around the former governors. It is currently being claimed that a team of EFCC officials is reviewing the files. But a source at the EFCC in Abuja told Saharareporters that this is a ploy by Mrs. Waziri to buy time to discard the cases of the former governors.
Magu's situation may have been returned to the limelight by the publication of details of a N1 billion graft traced to Oyo State governor Bayo Alao-Akala. The story, first published by The Punch daily newspaper and later by Saharareporters, bore Ibrahim Magu's name and section title. Friends of the former EFCC tough guy say that former governors who felt threatened by Magu's no-nonsense interrogation techniques are behind his current travails.
They expressed the fear that Mrs. Waziri and Umaru Sanda, who is the new head of the Economic Governance section, may be planning to eliminate Magu because of concerns he may be in possession of documentary evidence that may reveal how Mrs. Waziri transferred monies into bank accounts of her daughters in London.
A bizarre early morning raid by an eight-member team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took place today at the Lagos residence of a former officer of the EFCC generally regarded as the 'toughest' by corrupt former governors who have crossed his path. A separate EFCC team also searched his Abuja home.
The former official has been identified as Chief Superintendent of Police Ibrahim Magu, who, until his recent posting to the Ekiti Police Command, was the head of the Economic Governance section of the EFCC, the section largely responsible for investigating corrupt former state governors nationwide.
During the unprecedented search and seizure at his Victoria Island residence, the EFCC team relieved the CSP of his weapon, mobile telephone, laptop and a file folder containing his hand-over notes. It is unclear what may have been removed from his Abuja residence. Prior to the raids, sources say that the EFCC chairwoman, Mrs. Waziri, had pointedly accused officer Magu and former acting chair of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, of setting her up to sign bail papers that were published by Saharareporters in the thick of her confirmation hearing at the Nigerian Senate. The paper, with copies of George Akume's international passports bearing her signature and title, became the most credible official evidence directly connecting Mrs. Waziri with corrupt former governors indicted by the EFCC.
Saharareporters had consistently reported that former governor James Ibori of Delta State and his Kwara State counterpart, Bukola Saraki, were behind the recruitment of Mrs. Waziri as the new head of the EFCC. Her kinsmen, mostly Tivs from Benue State that include the Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, and a justice of the Supreme Court, Aloysius Katsina –Alu, later supported the appointment.
So far, and despite her repeated public promises to step on powerful toes, Mrs. Waziri has failed to arrest and prosecute George Akume for corruption. This is despite the fact that sources have confirmed to Saharareporters that his case file and those of the former governors of Rivers State, Peter Odili, former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Sanni Yerima, and Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, are ready for prosecution.
Mrs. Waziri's media propaganda has, however, deftly continued to spin the story around the former governors. It is currently being claimed that a team of EFCC officials is reviewing the files. But a source at the EFCC in Abuja told Saharareporters that this is a ploy by Mrs. Waziri to buy time to discard the cases of the former governors.
Magu's situation may have been returned to the limelight by the publication of details of a N1 billion graft traced to Oyo State governor Bayo Alao-Akala. The story, first published by The Punch daily newspaper and later by Saharareporters, bore Ibrahim Magu's name and section title. Friends of the former EFCC tough guy say that former governors who felt threatened by Magu's no-nonsense interrogation techniques are behind his current travails.
They expressed the fear that Mrs. Waziri and Umaru Sanda, who is the new head of the Economic Governance section, may be planning to eliminate Magu because of concerns he may be in possession of documentary evidence that may reveal how Mrs. Waziri transferred monies into bank accounts of her daughters in London.
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