Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says in
2017, he gave several warnings that Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was looting the country’s
treasury.
Magu was arrested and detained by security operatives in
Abuja on Monday.
He is being interrogated by a panel President Muhamadu
Buhari set up to probe the anti-graft agency.
The panel began sitting three weeks ago, but was only able
to compel Magu to appear before it on Monday.
Magu’s travails followed a memo by Abubakar Malami,
attorney-general of the federation (AGF), in which the suspended anti-graft
czar was accused of grave malfeasance.
He was alleged to have mishandled the recovered loot and was
selling seized assets to associates.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ozekhome said he wrote Yemi
Osinbajo, the then acting president, to complain about Magu whom he alleged was
not being sincere with the handling of recovered loot.
“I challenged him and his impunity severally in courts
across Nigeria. I won virtually all the cases. I called for a change of the way
and manner the ‘anti- corruption war’ was being selectively and opaqualey
fought,” he said.
“I wrote a public letter in 2017, to the then acting president,
Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) at a time his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, was
sick on a London hospital bed. I complained bitterly, with facts, figures and
data, that recovered looted funds and property, were being re-looted by the
Magu-led team, who were supposed to keep the gate of our commonwealth.
“They looted our treasury in collaboration with their
cronies, friends and acolytes. Magu was the new sheriff in town. I got no reply
to my letter to Osinbajo. I wrote a reminder. No dice. I later challenged Magu
publicly, face-to-face, on at least three occasions, one of which was at a
ceremony at the federal high court in Abuja. Another was at a capacity-building
workshop organised by the EFCC at its training academy in Karu, Abuja, which he
graciously personally invited me to.
“He refused to change his ugly ways. It was clear to me and
discerning Nigerians that power had gotten into his bald head. Power is an
aphrodisiac, an intoxicating liquor. It bemuses. It gives delusional ‘Dutch
courage.’ It forces reason to vacate its seat.”
The senior lawyer said for five years, Magu continued to
work as acting chairman of the EFCC, as against the provisions of section 2(3)
of the EFCC act, 2004 which provides that the senate must confirm him before he
could continue in his office.
Ozekhome said Magu recruited expert “constitutional lawyers
” who argued that he could continue to stay in office.
He also accused Magu of subjecting those accused to media
trial and humiliation.
He described Magu’s “arrest as a tragic reminder of the
urgent need for temporary power wielders to act with moderation, modesty,
circumspection and humility.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com