I was victim of corruption fighting back, says ex-EFCC chairman Magu

Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has described his exit from the anti-corruption agency as corruption fighting back.

Mr Magu made the assertion on Sunday in Abuja at an award ceremony organised by Northern Female Students Association in his honour.

“I am a victim of corruption fighting back, but I am happy that recent events are revealing the truth to Nigerians,’’ he said.

Mr Magu, who was represented by his son, Mohammad-Ibrahim-Magu, thanked the association for conferring on him the award of “Achiever per Excellence’’ and said he was happy to receive the award.

Aisha Nasir, spokesperson of the association, which comprises female students of universities in northern Nigeria, explained that Mr Magu was unanimously chosen for the award for his dedication to national service.

“Love him or hate him, Ibrahim Magu took the anti-corruption fight to uncharted levels that many people thought could never be attained.

“Magu attracted continental and global commendations for tackling what had been described as the leading factor hindering growth and development of African nations and economies,’’ Mr Nasir said.

The award came on the heels of the October 4 judgement of the FCT High Court delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu.

Mr Halilu exonerated Mr Magu of a false claim that Pastor Emmanuel Omale of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry and his wife, Deborah, laundered N573 million for the former EFCC boss.

The money was said to have been used by the cleric to buy a property for Mr Magu in Dubai.

During the investigation of Mr Magu by the retired Justice Isa Salami-led presidential investigation panel, it was claimed that findings by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, revealed that the ex-EFCC boss paid N573million into Mr Omale’s church’s account.

However, Mr Halilu noted in his judgement that the evidence before his court showed that Mr Omale’s bank admitted error in its report to the NFIU of entries in Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry’s account.

The judge further held that the bank claimed that the purported N573 million was wrongly reflected as credit entry into the church’s account by its reporting system, which it recently upgraded.

He also awarded the sum of N540.5 million as cost to Mr Omale against the bank for the falsely generated weekly report of a “suspicious’’ credit inflow of N573.2 million.

Mr Magu was suspended as the acting chairman of the EFCC in 2020.

(NAN)