Senate: DSS Report on Magu Sent to AGF More Damning

EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu

• Says upper chamber’s position on acting EFCC chairman vindicated

Damilola Oyedele 

The Senate said saturday that its rejection of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been further justified by a leaked report of the Department of State Services, which indicted Magu for criminal and unprofessional conducts.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), stated this, in the upper chamber’s first formal reaction to Friday’s leakage of a DSS report on Magu that had been sent to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami.
Abdullahi said in a statement yesterday that the report had proved that the Senate was right in its decision not to confirm Magu’s appointment as chairman of EFCC by President Muhammadu Buhari. The senate spokesman stated that while the initial report of the DSS, dated October 3, 2016, which was sent to the Senate, tried to give Magu a soft landing, the fresh report, dated December 19, 2016, that was disclosed to the media on Friday by an unnamed source, was more damaging.

Abdullahi stated, “Following several calls made to me today by journalists seeking my comments on the leaked report on Mr. Ibrahim Magu, which was more damning than the one submitted to us, I can only say that I and my colleagues have been vindicated.

“From that report, which is now public, it is obvious the director-general of SSS (State Security Service) even tried to give Magu soft landing in the report that was sent to the Senate. The recent report is messier and shows that our decision not to confirm his nomination was right. We, therefore, call on all Nigerians to continue to have full confidence and trust on the Nigerian Senate, as it discharges its responsibilities according to the letter and spirit of the Nigerian constitution.”

Magu, the fourth chief executive of EFCC, assumed office on November 9 last year as acting chairman of the agency following his appointed two days earlier by Buhari to succeed Ibrahim Lamorde. But the Senate declined to confirm Magu as substantive chairman of EFCC on December 15 last year based on an incriminating report by the DSS. However, he was presented again to the upper chamber in January after an alleged executive inquest absolved him of wrongdoing. Magu was rejected for the second time by the Senate on March 15 during its confirmation hearing, with some senators alleging that he cannot be considered again by the upper chamber, going by its rules.

The latest report, signed by one Folashade Bello on behalf of the director-general of DSS, Mr. Lawal Daura, portrayed Magu as tainted and unfit to head the anti-graft body. It referred to indictments of the EFCC boss by disciplinary authorities and his alleged illegal sharing of classified materials. One of the key references was with regard to minutes of the 20th plenary meeting of the Police Service Commission on December20, 2010, chaired by Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, who was then chairman of the commission. “The minutes indicate that Magu was indicted after a disciplinary process and awarded Severe Reprimand for, ‘Action prejudicial to state security, withholding of EFFC files, sabotage, unauthorised removal of EFCC files, and acts unbecoming of a police officer,’” the report noted, adding, “It is worthy to note here that Severe Reprimand is the second highest punishment to be given to an erring officer, other than compulsory retirement or dismissal from service.”

The report also made reference to a confessional statement by Air Commodore Mohammmed Umar (rtd), who is being prosecuted by EFCC for alleged corrupt practices, which “affirms his ownership of Valcour S.A Nigeria Limited, a company awarded the contract of securing and furnishing an official residence for Ibrahim Magu by the FCTA. Investigation revealed that this was facilitated after Magu was earlier shown the residence by one Uche Aleka, a close business associate of Umar, who was introduced to Magu by the former.”

The DSS report mentioned an alleged forged memo that supposedly originated from the vice president’s office and addressed to the president, which was recovered from Umar’s private residence during a search. The document requested approval to commence further investigation into the financial activities of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
Other incriminating revelations in the DSS report include, “A copy of progress report with reference number SH/ COS/ 24/ A/ 7277 dated 25th May, 2016 on NNPC/ NLG Brass Investment Accounts in Nigerian commercial banks from Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba Kyari to the acting EFCC chairman. The letter is an official/classified document of the EFCC, which was duly received by the commission as indicated by the stamp on the document. However, it was recovered at Umar’s residence.

“Photocopies of managers’ cheques of First Bank PLC and Zenith Bank PLC, issued in favour of EFCC Recovery Funds Account on 13/05/2016 and 16/65/2016, respectively. These are all sensitive official documents of the EFCC found in Umar’s residence during the search.

“A classified letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser to the EFCC chairman titled Re: Request to Freeze Accounts Messers Bebey: Merchant Ltd and 20 others, dated 7th March, 2016. This document was also duly received by EFCC but found in Commodore Umar’s house during the search.

“A document which emanated from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and addressed to the EFCC chairman on 6th May, 2016 with the subject, Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- A case for Joint Venture and NNPC Pension Funds Accounts. The document was recovered at Umar’s residence.
“NNPC letter, GED/ F86A/ 08.26, dated 5th May, 2016, addressed to the EFCC chairman and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries. This was also discovered during the search of Umar’s residence.

“A copy of NNPC correspondence with reference number GED/ F86A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Transfer of FCT Balances to NNPC’s TSA Accounts, addressed to the EFCC chairman. The document was found in Umar’s residence.
“A copy of an NNPC letter with reference number GED/ F&A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Critical Accounts for immediate operations to the EFCC chairman. The document was also recovered during the search of Umar’s house.

“Copy of confessional statement by Umar to the Service stating that his trip to Maiduguri for condolence visit to Ibrahim Magu, sequel to the loss of a close relative, was made on behalf of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Arms Purchase. Cross examination of the chairman of the committee, AVM John Ode (rtd) revealed that the committee did not send any of its members on such an assignment. The visit of Umar to Magu is therefore assessed as an expression of their close sinister relationship at the detriment of national security interests.”
The DSS report concluded, “An officer appointed as acting chairman of EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials, with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nation’s fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is evident from Magu’s antecedents that he is by no means that kind of officer.

“His relationship with Umar Mohammed, which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified official documents in his possession, shows lack of professionalism and assails his integrity. More so, for an officer who was indicted and nearly dismissed six years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear that Magu is a perennial offender and cannot change.”
DSS also alleged, “Magu exhibited a total lack of judgment where it matters most. He accepted to move into a tastily furnished accommodation without any scrutiny of how it was furnished. This is curious and speaks volumes about his personality.

“The recovery of sensitive and classified documents from the residence of Umar further underlays his close affinity to Magu and an apparent penchant for sabotaging official processes and administrative protocols, just to further the latter’s personal material and pecuniary agenda. Such mutually beneficial relationships as with Umar, who by his confession, approaches ‘clients’ for possible exploitation, favours and associated returns is unprecedented and very damning for an anti-graft top official. It has exposed Magu as a fraudulent officer and betrays the high confidence reposed in him by Mr. President.

“A further demonstration of Magu’s questionable credibility as an untainted anti-corruption official is his failed bid to settle personal scores with one Stanley Inye Lawson by placing him on Security Watch Action. It was however discovered that Lawson was actually working in the interest of the Federal Government and the action was subsequently expunged.
“This reinforces the view that Magu may continue to exploit his official position, if confirmed as EFCC chairman, and indulge in other unprofessional and criminal conducts for personal aggrandisement contrary to his oath of office.”

Efforts by THISDAY on Saturday to get EFCC’s response to the leaked DSS report were futile as calls made to the telephone line of the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, did not go through.

  Thisday