EFCC boss: Ibrahim Magu
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has been blowing hot these past few days – Speaking about the modus operandi of the commission, Magu says the EFCC carries out thorough findings before inviting suspects – Magu was speaking on Question Time, a programme on Channels Television EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu has stated that there is no individual
who would “come out clean” after honouring the invitation of the anti-graft agency. Magu made the comment based on the premise that the commission puts effort in investigating suspects before inviting them for questioning. Magu made the comments while speaking on Question Time, a programme aired on Channels Television. He also addressed the allegations in some quarters that the EFCC is witch-hunting political opponents of the present administration. He said: “We don’t chase innocent people; we investigate people before we arrest them. We follow the money, we trace when you received the money, and we also investigate how you utilised the money. “That’s why anybody who is invited here will not come out clean, because we do our homework before we invite you. We may investigate for a year or six months and the person would not know.” He continued: “There is no sacred cow, we will go after anybody who has stolen the resources of the people. We have no reservations. “We fight corruption both within and outside. We don’t go after innocent people for political reasons, we are going after the thieves of state resources.” Also speaking at the launch of ‘Clean Hands’ Campaign in Abuja yesterday, May 26, Magu said the reinvigorated anti-corruption drive of the EFCC had yielded tremendous results. According to Thisday, Magu said the EFCC had secured the convictions of 140 suspects within six months. Speaking on the theme: ”We Must Win The War on Corruption and Impunity”, Magu stated that the commission had kept faith with its mandate and the expectations of Nigerians. “In just six months of this year, we have secured over 140 convictions, including some elusive ‘high profile’ criminals. We have recovered billions of dollars of stolen funds and blocked numerous avenues of money laundering. ‘‘Citizens are now more disposed to preemptively act against corruption; and where the act has been committed, they are willing to work with EFCC to fish out the criminals. ‘‘However, in order to ensure that justice is fully served to the victim, the perpetrator and the society, it is important for us all to continue to hold everyone in the justice delivery chain accountable,” Magu said.
On her own part, the Co-founder of Transparency International and Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign (BBOG), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, urged every Nigerian to be involved in the fight against corruption. She said: ‘‘If any Nigerian is serious at all about the necessity for the greatness of the nation, then, he or she must take the fight against corruption seriously. This is because the consequence of not taking the fight against corruption seriously is that the nation will forever be mortgaged. ‘‘Nigeria is a country that the world agreed had incredible potentials to be one of the leading countries of the world. As a matter of fact, at the time of Nigeria’s Independence, many around the world took a bet that Nigeria was the black nation that would likely put in hot pursuit all other nations of the world in terms of greatness that it had. ‘‘Sadly, 56 years after Independence, when some of those nations that took a bet on Nigeria look at what has become of the country, they ponder what has gone wrong. But what has gone wrong is what the EFCC has been established to tackle.’’ Meanwhile, former deputy governor of Osun state, Senator Iyiola Omisore has been declared wanted by the EFCC over his role in the infamous Ekitigate election scandal
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