Exclusive: By Adenike Lucas
The Editor of this website has denied that it was trying to tarnish the image of the Acting Chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu in it reports (#MaguGate: EFCC Staff Tell Acting Chair To Give Account For Himself, Instead Of Using Sahara Reporters To Respond To Allegations Reported In DENISAURUS).
In the past six month, Adenike Lucas, the Editor in chief to DENISAURUS News, has carried out an in-depth investigation with EFCC staffers which has exposed the desperation of Mr Magu to be confirmed as the substantive chairman of the anti-graft commission.
This news website is therefore standing in solidarity with the Managerial Core Staff who accused Mr Magu of frustrating their efforts before they all resigned en masse.
DENISAURUS NEWS revealed in its original report some of the reasons provided by a few of the resignees which includes, “the fact that Mr Magu of EFCC made the Agency to call for recruitment but instead of following due process in appointing new staff, Mr Magu ordered some of the list to be replaced with his ‘Confirmation Lobbying List.’
This allegation has now been corroborated by an intense and detailed report in The AUTHORITY. In the article, The AUTHORITY NGR, an online and print news outlet, exposed how the EFCC-led by Mr Magu had “pushed aside the Federal Character principle in its ongoing recruitment of various cadres of operatives.”
READ ALSO : EFCC ignores Federal Character in staff recruitment
The investigation also showed that a cabal had taking over the Human Resources Department. This was part of the reasons this paper had given in its own report on the resignation of Managerial Core Staff.
The EFCC was aware that this story and concerns made by staff to this website was going to be published. Calls were made and a text sent to Wilson Uwujaren for a comment about the claims but he refused to acknowledge the messages before the story was published.
Despite what was reported in the news last week, EFCC sources are adamant that staff members had resigned but the most influential among them were begged to return to work.
Other reasons given for the resignation by the senior staff was the impunity and the “I Know It All” syndrome of Mr Magu of EFCC.
Informants at the commission who gave this information say that “due to the fear of not being confirmed as a result of the mass resignation, Mr Magu of EFCC has sent several delegates to plead with some of the resignees.”
According to those sources: “this was to prevent the information from reaching the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari, because if the resignation saga lingers, it will surely call for questions on Mr Magu of EFCC about his stewardship.”
As at this moment, DENISAURUS News gathered that Mr Magu of EFCC must have succeeded in his plea however; sources say that despite his plea for their return Mr Magu “has not changed from giving listening ears to the plight of staff members, and ending his impunity.
Staff said Mr Magu has “tactically decided to slow down on prosecuting high-profile corruption cases in order to advance his confirmation.”
The Deputy Commissioner of Police was said to be so desperate to be made the substantive chairman, he had begun to “bully” core operatives. When this was reported by Abubakar Sidiq Usman, the EFCC boss who claims to have no “personal issues with anybody” had him arrested.
DENISAURUS STANDS ITS GROUND ON STAFF RESIGNATION.
Mr Magu of EFCC should be warned, else this media may be forced to officially write to our beloved President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB and also REVEAL the names of staff who had resigned based on some reasons provided and enumerated by DENISAURUS News in our previous report.
READ ALSO : #MaguGate : EFCC Staff Tell Acting Chair To Give Account For Himself, Instead Of Using Sahara Reporters To Respond To Allegations Reported In DENISAURUS
“The anti-graft agency’s boss should stop playing with our intelligence and that of gullible Nigerians, to think that anyone making exposé must have been paid to tarnish the EFCC’s image.
“Enough is enough for the wise, because all of these was intended to make Mr Magu of EFCC correct his impunity, atrocities, bullying, victimisation and blackmail of staff members, and PMB appointees respectively.
“It’s becoming obvious that Mr Magu of EFCC is not ready to change, rather fooling Nigerians. We call for his immediate sack by Mr President, in order to avert further damage to the agency under Mr Magu of EFCC.
“We are not surprised that Mr Magu of EFCC had to pull this stunt, he needed to dissuade the minds of most Nigerians, whom he had been hoodwinking with his “Arrest and Recovery” gimmick. As we know, “Conscience is an Open wound, only the Truth can heal it.”
EFCC operatives have urged “PMB to understand that Mr Magu of EFCC is a log in the wheel of fighting corruption.”
MAGU GETS A SET BACK TO BID FOR CONFIRMATION
Mr Magu suffered another embarrassing episode over the illegal arrest of Nkemdilim Onwenu. Mr Onwenu approached Ordinary Ahmed to report how Mr Magu had impounded $54,000 from him. Ordinary Ahmed called and got assurances from Mr Magu that the money would be returned but, this was not so.
The Editor of this paper contacted EFCC to ask whether they had any response to the claims.
CORRUPTION FIGHT IS ONLY IN THE MEDIA
Last week, the relative of a current senator boasted of his links with Mr Magu in a leaked tape.
In the audio, Mr Ibanga Akapabio- the younger brother of Senator Godswill Akpabio was heard boasting of a deal with Mr Magu.
In the tape, Mr Ibanga described what he called a close relationship with the Acting Boss of the anti-graft commission. The barrister, who is also the deputy chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom, has access to information from the EFCC on the benefit of his relationship with Mr Magu.
As a result of the information sharing, Mr Akpabio Jnr stated that Mr Magu of EFCC had notified him of how an APC Chieftain was disturbing his office with ‘petition reminder’ on the Akpabio’s, including those written to Ombudsman, Public Complaint Commission.
A week after the leak tape went viral; Senator Godswill’s brother was arrested by the EFCC.
Readers reacted negatively to the news of the arrest of Mr Ibanga, accusing the EFCC Acting Chairman of working to frustrate the fight against corruption.
Sources within the EFCC noted that after the audio went viral, Mr Magu of EFCC became ashamed and had to be sneaking into the anti-graft agency, instead of facing the situation, and or responding to this dirty exposé.
Information at our disposal revealed that the Sahara Reporters, Mr Magu of EFCC’s ally was tasked with cleaning up the mess created. EFCC sources said after a week of the release of the tape, Mr Magu of EFCC has now ordered the arrest of Mr Akpabio, to show that he can be a judge in his own case.
Unfortunately, to them their Chief Executive of the Commission “is trying to play smart on gullible Nigerians, by ensuring that Mr Ibanga was not arrested by Operatives in EFCC Abuja HQ, where the acting boss of the anti-graft agency is based.”
Rather they say, “to fool the public, Mr Magu of EFCC instructed the EFCC Port Harcourt Office to carry out his plot. So he can absolve himself of any responsibility to either Mr Ibanga or the people should they ask any questions.
They say the truth is, “the whole charade of Mr Magu of EFCC is becoming clear, as the arrest of Mr Ibanga is a welcome development, since he was alleged to have been apprehended for the Fraud perpetrated under his brother tenure as governor, now Senator, Godswill Akpabio.”
An EFCC staff said “there had been several petitions written against the Akpabios for over two years ago. One of which is by a Human Right Lawyer from Akwa Ibom State, but Mr Magu of EFCC did not in any way act on them.” This goes to corroborate the fact that Mr Ibanga’s allegations on their acquaintance with Mr Magu of EFCC, cannot be denied.
Meanwhile, a week pass by, after the audio leak, Mr Magu of EFCC has arrested this fellow, Mr Ibanga. Some say “it is a scam, as the acting boss of the anti-graft agency is looking for a way to cajole the suspect, and subject him to interrogation that will make for denial of the content of the leaked audio.”
Those who have been following the news of the leaked tape were shocked about Mr Akpabio’s arrest. They say “it is odd that Mr Magu did not arrest him before the release of the audio tape.”
One person who spoke to this blog at length said: “in all honesty, if Mr Magu will be sincere, he knows that there had never been any instance, when the EFCC under him declared Mr Akpabio as ‘WANTED.’
An EFCC insider verified the claims that the agency had never declared Mr Akpabio wanted, saying, “how comes a week after the audio leak, the man was arrested.
“It should have been the duty of another independent Security or Law Enforcement Agency, like the Department of State Services DSS or even the Nigeria Police, to investigate the matter.”
Suddenly, after taking Mr Akpabio into custody, Mr Magu of EFCC has ordered his ally Sahara Reporters to reply Nigerians, on the “audio leak.”
Another said, he (Mr Magu) feigned knowledge about the audio that was in circulation for over a week.
But as stated above, due to the audio, Mr Magu of EFCC has been was creeping in and out of his office, purportedly feeling guilty that he has been exposed. SR even went ahead to lift the YouTube Audio posted by DENISAURUS News but gave a dubious reason for Mr Ibanga’s boast about his relationship with Mr Magu.
It is believed that Mr Magu of EFCC gave instruction to EFCC Port Harcourt Office Lieutenants for the arrest of Mr Ibanga Akpabio and he waited for the instruction to be carried out before he thought to DISOWN the recent audio leak.”
Staff want President Buhari to investigate this matter. They say he should do so immediately, in the interest of this Nation and to preserve his hard earned integrity before Mr Magu of EFCC soils it for him.
denisaurus.com 