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EXCLUSIVE: Magu may resign this week
BY NICHOLAS ABE
Embattled acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, may be forced to resign this week.
An informed source who spoke to RELIABLESOURCENG.COM said that Magu was actually arrested on Monday as was reported in the media and it did not matter whether it was the DSS, police or any other arm of the security agencies that carried out the act.
According to our source, the DSS had to quickly exonerate itself from the action because it was done without the knowledge of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, coupled with the fact that the news generated so much apprehension and embarrassment within government circle.
“The arrest really happened. But it had no presidential backing,” our source revealed.
“That (the arrest) is just the first step. Magu will leave voluntarily during the week. They’ve shown him what they have on him,” the source added.
The DSS had in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, shortly after the news of Magu’s arrest rent the air, saying that it did not arrest the EFCC boss.
However, media reports have it that a presidential panel set up by President Buhari to investigate the acting Chairman of the EFCC, over allegations of financial impropriety and other malfeasance, had grilled him for six hours, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The panel, which was inaugurated about a week ago, interrogated Magu at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after he was whisked to the venue by armed security operatives.
READ: How DSS ambushed Ibrahim Magu, arrested him in traffic
Led by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami (retd.), the panel had about seven other members including the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Mike Ogbizi.
The panel also had representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the DSS and other related agencies.
Magu was said to have been accosted by security agents in plain clothes in front of the old EFCC headquarters on Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, around 12noon.
The acting EFCC chair who was in his own convoy, was shown a letter of invitation from the presidential panel, requesting his presence.
Magu was said to have explained to the security agents that he would honour the invitation on a future date but they rebuffed his explanation and insisted that he followed them to the Presidential Villa.
It was learnt that 24 allegations were levelled against Magu who has been on acting capacity as chairman of EFCC for almost five years.
Most of the allegations, it was learnt, emanated from a report by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and a DSS report which was submitted to the Senate in 2016 and 2017.