Magu And The Corruption Saga: The Hunter Has Been Hunted -By Reuben Alhamdu Avong

For long, Nigeria as a country has been tagged as a corrupt country. Infarct, according to a report giving by Transparency International, Nigeria is the 146th most corrupt country in the world out of a list containing a grand total of 180 countries of the world. This report was given by this organization in 2019 and this is just one out of many other organizations that have tagged Nigeria with the identity of corruption.

To wiped the name of Nigeria off this shameful list of corruption, a position that has denied her citizens entrance into many countries of the world, many administrations that have presided over the affairs of the country have given different approaches to the fight against corruption. The Obasanjo administration established the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) on the 29th of September 2000 to receive and investigate cases of corruption in the country. The commission recorded both successes and failures but then, that is not the concern of this article.

There was still a need to totally eliminate Nigeria from the shameful list of corruption hence the OBJ administration did not relent. In 2003 due to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering or 419 in the Nigerian language. OBJ set up the commission of Economic and Finical crime as a way of contributing to the fight against international corruption.

Both the Yar’Adua and Goodluck administrations maintained the fight against corruption by fuelling the effort of the ICPC and the EFCC. The two administrations gave them the necessary support and environment to operate in taking Nigeria out of the corruption cage.
With the arrival of the Buhari administration in 2015, he promised Nigerians that his administration will give zero tolerance to the fight against corruption in fact; he made it a priority in his admiration. This brought Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the EFCC to continue the fight against corruption In Nigeria.

Since his appointment, the headlines have always carried his name as he has stopped at nothing but fighting corruption in Nigeria. He has recovered funds for the government figures that are counting in billions thou one cannot really say where the funds have gone to or what have the funds been used for. I intend to address this at the concluding segment of this article.
The appointment of Magu as the boss of the EFCC came with different reactions from the legislative chambers of the country. The senate under the leadership of Saraki had earlier debunked the appointment of Magu but the persistence of president Buhari kept him on the wings of leadership despite the numerous rejections.

Magu has been functioning in the capacity of the chairman of the EFCC for about five years now not until recently when many controversies were attached to his name. This controversy seems to be stronger and louder than any other controversy attached to his name. From the way the headlines are painting the situation, the hunter might not survive this as the animals he has been facing have turn to face him.

The news about Magus Arrest seems to be the headline of the papers and news on the TV stations. Channels TV reported on Monday 6th July 2020 that the residence of the EFCC boss was searched by personals attached to the criminal investigation and intelligence Department. It did not end there as on Tuesday of the same month and year the presidential panel under the leadership of Justice Ayo Salami interrogated Magu over allegations of corruption.

The accusations have it that the Boss of the EFCC has been misleading recovered looted funds. Also, he has been accused of selling seized assets to associates and he refused to offer himself for supervision to the office of the attorney general. The allegations left the president with no option but to suspend him claiming that no one is above the law even when he has not been proven guilty as accused.

Worthy of notation here is the fact that all the Bosses of that have to lead the EFCC before all left office with controversies and the case of Magu seems to be following suit. I think Nigerians will want to know whether this is occurring is a co-incidence. Is somebody somewhere trying to do aways with the EFCC’s boss for reasons we are yet to find out? I am saying this with regards to the sensitivity of his office knowing that his appointment as the Boss of the EFCC has been challenged by influential Nigerians.

As the Boss of the EFCC Magu has made more than 2,000 arrests and made a lot of contributions to the successful arrest of the International fraudster Hushpuppi. He has contributed more than words can say to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Most definitely this won’t be the best way to reward an individual who has made this kind of contribution to the development of Nigeria and for a man with this kind of achievement, it is only normal that he has numerous enemies. I am not in any way suggesting that the slate of Magu is clean but at least it is not the slate with the highest dirt. Rumors are already flying that the president is already hunting for a replacement and this is coming even before Magu is proven guilty of any crime.

A lot of questions are seeking answers especially now that the hunter of corruption is been chased by those who are corrupt. Nigerians keep hoping for answers.

YOUR FELLOW CITZENS OF NIGERIA
REUBEN ALHAMDU AVONG
STUDENT OF PHILOSOPHY VERITAS UNIVERSITY ABUJA
08157046156