Magu’s reported sack splits Nigerians •Report of his sack speculative —Presidency

The reported sack of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, has split Nigerians on the social and other media.

While some Nigerians declared support for the removal of Magu over allegation of corrupt practices which led to refusal by the Senate to confirm him as substansive EFCC boss, others reasoned that removing him would sound the death knell to Buhari’s anti-corruption policy.

A few others said Magu should not be the only one that would go down, adding that other top government officials indicted for alleged corruption, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, should not be spared.

A newspaper, quoting an exclusive source, had reported the sack of Magu through a letter from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Magu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)who has been on secondment to anti-corruption commission since November last year, was reported to have been redeployed to the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

He was said to have been asked to hand over to the Director of Operations in commission, pending the appointment of a substantive EFCC boss.

But the Presidency, on Saturday, quickly denied the sack of Magu, describing the report as “speculative and preemptive.”

Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who gave the rebuttal in his Twitter handle, said the Attorney General was yet to submit the report of his investigation of Magu to Buhari.

Shehu Tweeted: “We are reading reports that the EFCC [acting] chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has been sacked.

“No report has been made available to the Presidency by the Attorney General of the Federation over the matter. The report of his sack is therefore speculative and preemptive.”

Shehu’s rebuttal elicited critical comments from social media-savvy Nigerians who noted that the handling of corruption allegations against top officials of Buhari’s government has implications for his anti-corruption policy.

Commenting through his Twitter handle, @godsarm05, GodsarmOnukwufor asked Shehu what other report President Buhari was waiting for to decide whether to remove Magu or not.

He asked rhetorically: “If DSS report was enough to go after the judges, then why is it not enough for Magu?”

Emmanuel Michael, via @enmichael, queried why the submission of investigation report on Magu was taking eternity to conclude.

“Why is the AGF taking forever to submit his report? He should submit his report and put closure to the speculation,” he said

Another person who reacted as Emmylagos through @emmygold83, did not believe Shehu’s rebuttal, noting that it was similar to the manner he refuted the appointment of Hajiya Animat Mohammed as United Nations Deputy Secretary General, which turned out later to be true.

“Continue in illusion. Is [this] not how you denied being unaware of UN appointment to environment minister?” he asked.

“Nobody is indispensable,” submitted Ayodele Ebenezer on @summitdeetee35, adding that “but to sack Magu simply means that corruption has fought and won.”

Also reacting, Dunstan OseOyugbo warned that if Magu must go down, he must do so in company with the SGF and the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.

He said: “Oga, if you sack this man and keep Lawal and Kyari, then it will be obvious we didn’t get any change.”

Nwaekwu Victor, who also commented, believed Magu got sacked the day the Senate rejected his approval for confirmation sent by President Buhari.

Another response from Olawale via @Dsuccess4, wondered why Shehu could “aggressively respond” to the reported sack of Magu, while keeping mum on “the genocide in Southern Kaduna,” adding that “God is watching.”

Yemi @Yemiakusebo asked Shehu to convey Nigerians’ loss of faith in President Buhari’s anti-corruption war, especially with the perceived foot-dragging on Magu’s matter.

“Please tell your Oga at the top that Nigerians have lost faith in his anti-corruption war with this dilly-dally about Magu,” he said.

Magu still with us- EFCC

EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, told Sunday Tribune in a telephone conversation that there was no truth in the reported sack of the commission’s boss.

“There is no truth in it. There is nothing like that,” Uwujaren said.

Another source in the anti-graft agency informed that Magu was in the office on Friday, adding that the anti-corruption chief even held a meeting with the AGF on a matter referred to both for investigation by President Buhari, but could not say what the matter was about.

We are not aware of his redeployment- Police source contacted at the Force headquarters in Abuja, who preferred not to be named, told Sunday Tribune that Magu had not be redeployed to the police, adding that the police had not heard anything on Magu from President Buhari.

We are not aware of his redeployment —Police

According to the police source, “we (the police) have not heard anything from President Buhari on Magu being redeployed back to the police.

“You know the president has not said anything since the Senate rejected the acting EFCC chairman,” the source said.

AGF keeps mum

Efforts to get the Special Assistant to the AGF on Media, Salifu Isah, for confirmation of the AGF’s letter to the Magu proved abortive as he did not pick calls made to his mobile phone number, just as he did not also reply the text message sent to his phone by our correspondent.

The AGF had, last week, on the orders of President Buhari, queried the SGF, Babachir and Magu over the allegations.

Sunday Tribune gathered that both responded to the query before the expiration of time given, while the AGF is said to have reviewed their responses.

AGF has allegedly submitted report —Investigation

But Sunday Tribune gathered from sources in the know that the AGF had submitted the report to President Buhari and made his recommendations.

Buhari, it was gathered, asked Malami (SAN) to send the report to the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who would in turn interface with him on the matter.

It was gathered that the report got leaked afterwards, while anti- and pro-Magu supporters took to the social media to argue for and against Magu’s removal.

Magu visits Abuja IDP camps

Ostensibly to douse speculations over his claimed sack, Magu, on Saturday, visited two camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Kuchingoro and Area 1, Abuja, where he distributed food items to them.

A statement from Uwujaren on the visit said Maguurged the displaced persons not to be demoralised by their present predicament, but remain strong, declaring that their travail would soon come to an end.

“That is the reason I am here today to tell you that I feel your pains and to celebrate this special season with you,”Magu told them.

Magu’s enemies behind his orchestrated sack —Falana

Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), on Saturday, said the purported sack of Magu was orchestrated by those who did not want to see his face in the commission, noting that the Presidency had since denied that he ever contemplating such move.

Falana said this in a telephone conversation with the Sunday Tribune, that “The presidency has clarified the issue that he was not sacked, adding that, “The crisis was orchestrated by those who wanted him (Magu) to go.”

Speaking further, the Lagos lawyer recalled that the Federal Government had asked the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) to conduct an investigation into the Directorate of State Service (DSS) report indicting Magu over some alleged wrong doings, saying that the government could not jump the gun until the AGF’s office submits its findings.

“The government has asked for an investigation, right and the report has not been submitted. So there is no way you can jumped the gun.

“The government would not jump the gun, the government would have to wait for the report on the investigation through the office of the Attorney- General,” Falana said.

Next man may be better than Magu —Ajetomobi

A former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Mr Dave Ajetomobi, while reacting said the matter remained mere speculation since the Presidency had denied it.

He, however, opined that Magu’s replacement might do a better job at confronting corruption than hunting for publicity as did Magu.

“At any rate, the next man may be better than Magu. He may do less publicity but ruthlessly efficient,” he said.

Magu did his best—Osuagwu

Another Lagos-based lawyer, UgochukwuOsuagwu, said while official confirmation of Magu’s sack had not come, the embattled acting did his best to combat graft.

“But I think Magu did his best. God giveth, God taketh. He should accept it in good faith,” he said.