Nigeria: PDP Decries Alleged Plan to Promote Ex-EFCC Boss Magu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday decried reports of plans to promote the ousted acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, despite a reported indictment for corruption and abuse of office.

The party stated that the report confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is a sanctuary of corruption.

The PDP urged Buhari not to “ease off” the allegations of corruption against Magu but to make the Justice Ayo Salami’s report open and if necessary, prosecute the former EFCC chairman.

The party described as outrageous and a direct slap on the sensibilities of Nigerians that the Buhari administration is reportedly planning to promote Magu to Assistant Inspector-General of Police, despite being indicted by the Justice Ayo Salami Presidential Investigation Panel.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “The planned promotion of Magu is indeed ludicrous, though true to its proclivity to cover corruption, that the Buhari’s administration, instead of allowing the law to take its course, is rather rewarding corruption by reportedly planning to promote an individual allegedly indicted for compromising high-profile corruption cases.

“Our party invites Nigerians to note how the Buhari’s administration has failed to take disciplinary action against Magu, as recommended by the Salami panel, but seeks to reward him with a promotion in spite of the report by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, which nailed him for alleged diversion of recovered funds and fraudulent sale of assets seized by the EFCC.

“This is in addition to reports by the Department of State Services (DSS), which also stated that Magu had failed ‘the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption stand of the current government.”

The PDP said the planned promotion of Magu had heightened apprehension in the public space that certain top officials in the presidency were overburdened with corruption complicity and fears that a docked Magu would expose their atrocities.

The PDP, however, called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the police high command to resist the pressure to promote Magu and commence the processes for his prosecution in court in the interest of justice.

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