More facts have emerged on the ongoing probe of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
Two top retired Generals of the Nigerian Army: former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; and former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Danjuma, had of recent reported Magu to President Muhammadu Buhari for ill-treating them.
This was disclosed by former presidential spokesman and Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY newspaper, Olusegun Adeniyi, in his weekly column in the highly celebrated newspaper.
Adeniyi, who was spokesman of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, said part of Magu’s problem was the raid he conducted on the Minna residence of General Abubakar.
He was also said to have stopped Danjuma’s payment for a new aircraft, a development that infuriated the former Minister of Defence to see President Buhari the Presidential Villa in Abuja recently.
Adeniyi wrote: “A billionaire oil tycoon, Danjuma had paid for the purchase of an aircraft. His cheque bounced!
“The order to withhold payment, he was told by his banker, came from Magu! From what I gathered, it took some time before the president could convince Danjuma that he knew nothing about what was clearly power mongering by a reckless public official.
“A few weeks before that incident, the Minna residence of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar was raided by EFCC operatives who ‘turned the house upside down’.
“The president also got to know only after the deed had been done.”
The full column is published elsewhere on this news platform.
The grilling of Magu continued on Wednesday by the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel at the Presidential Villa.
Sources said Magu was grilled on possible ownership of properties in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Some top staff of the EFCC and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit were also invited by the Panel on fact finding.
Among those reported to have appeared before the panel from the EFCC were the Secretary, Ola Oluyede; Director of Operations, Mohammed Umar; Director of Finance and Administration; Director of Internal Affairs; Zonal/Sectional Heads; Departmental and Units Heads.