The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, says a former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission, Ibrahim Magu, can still face prosecution if indicted by the report submitted by the Justice Ayo Salami-led investigative panel.
He spoke yesterday at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in July 2020 constituted the panel to probe allegations of diversion of recovered loots made against Magu, following petitions by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Asked why the police authorities had not acted on the recommendations of the panel but chose to promote Magu to the rank of Assistant-Inspector General of Police, the minister said he could not speak for the Police Service Commission.
“But what I know is that Mr Magu has already retired and that’s what I can tell you now. The fact that he was promoted is a matter for the Police Commission to, maybe, throw more light on. I’m not aware of the position of government on the report you’re talking about and I think it’s still under consideration.
“It doesn’t mean that when he retires, the laws will not catch up with him whenever he’s found guilty. So, I think it’s not completely finished business,” he said.
The minister said the police had begun to deploy technology in dealing with crimes and criminalities.
He said the police were striving hard to be civil in their operations but would deploy firearms where necessary.
Dingyadi said his ministry was considering recruiting additional 10,000 police constables in the next one month or two in line with the president’s directive to employ 40,000 men within his second tenure.
He said those recruited into the police were the best available.
He said 25,000 constabularies had been trained for community policing.
The minister described unknown gunmen in the South East as terrorists.
