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The petition to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami in 2017 which first raised the alarm and triggered investigations into the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) Chairman, Ibrahim Magu has come to light.
New Telegraph reports that the petition which is dated 15th December, 2017 accused Magu’s EFCC of ‘tampering with evidence and doctoring files’ connected to 222 properties and N1.63 trillion recoveries made by the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).
The petition filed by an NGO, the Legislative Watch which served as a Civil Society Member of the PRTT and signed by its Executive Secretary, Hon. Ngozika Ihuoma wrote to express its disappointment with the submissions made then at the 2017 public hearing by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Disappearance, Reappearance, Reinstatement and Promotion of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina to the Federal Civil Service.
The petition read in part: “We are worried that the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, DCP Ibrahim Magu, lied on Oath when he said that the EFCC was not a member of the PRTT.”
It argued that Magu’s submission was contrary to a letter issued by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation on the 25th of January, 2011 which indicated that the EFCC had a member representation in the PRTT. The said letter signed by a Director, Ayo Otepola, was also obtained by New Telegraph.
The petition continued: “We are concerned that the EFCC is disputing the handing-over of 222 properties and assets and cash valued at over N1.63 trillion by the PRTT, which is a threat to the ongoing prosecution of 43 pension suspects and many companies.
“We are surprised and disturbed that one of the properties in question is now a subject of controversy between the EFCC Chairman, Lagos lawyer and human rights Activist, Mr. Femi Falana and the PRTT on whether it was the PRTT or AMCON that seized the property.”
The petition prayed that the Office of Attorney General of the Federation should, “immediately take over all the 222 files dealing with the pension matters as regards the activities of the PRTT as the EFCC are now doctoring the files and tampering with evidence thereby jeopardising ongoing prosecution of pension suspects”.
The group prayed further, “that the AGF should without further delay commence prosecution of Mr. Femi Falana for offences of tampering with exhibits and obstructing an ongoing prosecution of alleged pension suspects”.
New Telegraph however went in search of the petitioner, Hon. Ngozika Ihuoma, and when contacted, he owned up the petition and further noted that Ibrahim Magu’s present situation is a reflection of the many failings in Nigeria’s leadership.
He noted: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Professor Yemi Osinbajo are the biggest losers of Magu’s big fall.”
He alleged that Obasanjo illegally modified the EFCC Act, 2003, by allegedly reducing the rank of DIG to ACP in 2004 to accommodate the pioneer EFCC chairman, Ribadu.
For Prof. Osinbajo, he alleged that “the Vice President had argued that Magu can act as Chairman of EFCC without Senate confirmation.”
He recalled also that Femi Falana(SAN) had claimed to buy an exhibit seized from pension thieves at No.6 Gana Street, Maitama in 2015, and therefore argued that it may have prompted Falana’s defence with Itsa Sagay(SAN) of the EFCC Chairman being ‘above the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’.
Ihuoma regretted that Magu prosecuted Justice Walter Onnoghen and Senator Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), “when himself failed to declare his own assets.”
Source: New Telegraph
