Being Detained For Unknown Allegations Has Been Uncomfortable – Magu

Suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has come out to say that he has not been informed of the allegations against him.

He recently revealed that he does not understand why he is still detained without knowing what his crime is.

According to a recent letter addressed to the probe panel and written by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, he disclosed that he has still not seen the petition containing the allegations against him, nor has he been availed of the committee’s terms of reference.

He then added that being detained for a week has been very uncomfortable for him.

His words, “Mr Chairman, since the 6th of July when our client honoured your invitation, he has been consistently applying to the committee to be given the petitions containing the allegations of CONSPIRACY, CORRUPT ENRICHMENT, ABUSE OF POWER/OFFICE, which request has not been honoured or obliged till date,” the letter reads.

“Our client has also informed us that he remains unaware of the terms of reference of this distinguished committee.”

“The discomfort at being detained for a week is terrible without being informed of the allegations against him and the deserved opportunity to timeously study and respond to same.”

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Ibrahim Magu (born 5 May 1962), is a Nigerian police officer who served as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC from 9 November 2015, until his suspension on 7 July 2020. He was replaced by Muhammed Umar as the acting EFCC chairman.

Magu was appointed as EFCC chairman after Ibrahim Lamorde, who has earlier served twice was sacked by President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. Both Lamorde and Magu served during Nuhu Ribadu’s time at the anti-graft agency and were also credited with part of the success Ribadu recorded in his time.

Magu was born on 5 May 1962 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He attended Maiduguri’s primary school (from 1969 to 1975), Waka Biu’s Secondary School from 1975 to 1980 and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1982 to 1986 where he graduated with a B.Sc Accounting.

After the completion of his National Youth Service Corps, he served in various Ministries and Departments in the Borno State Government as an Accountant and rose to become a Zonal Accountant before he voluntarily resigned to join the Nigeria Police Force as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1990. He was the Coordinator, Nigeria Police Building Society before moving on to Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) where he served as a team leader in charge of Financial Crimes, Money Laundering and Advance Fee Fraud investigation.