DSS Not Credible – Ibrahim Magu Rubbishes Federal Agents

More details have emerged from the intriguing Senate screening of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu during which he questioned the integrity of the DSS.

Ibrahim Magu

Earlier, while answering senators’ questions yesterday – 15th of March, 2017, Ibrahim Magu said the DSS lacks credibility as an institution, stressing that the agency had submitted two different reports against him, on the same day, and has not accorded him fair hearing.

His words: “What does it say of an agency that submitted two varying reports on the same person, the same day? Up till now, the DSS has not given me a chance to hear from me. I have not been given fair hearing by the DSS. It is a fundamental issue, it is a constitutional matter. …There are two reports, and that tells you about the credibility of the institution.”

According to him, in spite of the DSS findings, no attempt had been made by the agency to invite him so as to make way for fair hearing on any of the issues raised, adding: “There’s right to fair hearing, and I have that right. Until now, I’ve not been invited by DSS to come and respond to any issues raised.”

Magu was severely grilled over the commission’s continued detention of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser under President Goodluck Jonathan; former Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed; and former Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

He also answered questions on his reported relationship with Air Commodore Mohammed Umar, retd, internal corruption in the EFCC, allegations of human rights abuses, refusal to obey court orders and inter-agency rivalry among others.

The DSS, in a letter addressed to the Clerk of the Senate dated March 14, 2017, and signed by F.O. Adams for the Director- General, said that it was standing by its initial report dated October 3, 2016, which was signed by Folashade Bello for the Director-General, where it noted that “Magu had failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the present administration.”

Magu could not provide clear answers to some questions, and claimed ignorance of some of the allegations against the EFCC bordering on corrupt practices.

One of such questions was a query on how some Certificates of Occupancy (Cs-of-O) seized during the raid on the home of an individual, were discovered in the ‘market’ after some officials allegedly tried to sell the land.

The issue, according to Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) was now with the police, and two of the Cs-of-O have been returned to the owner. Melaye who noted that the latest DSS letter, referred the Senate to the earlier report, said that Magu was being screened because of the President’s letter.

He also told Magu that every nominee is screened by the DSS before being confirmed by the Senate, stressing that the process did not start with Magu. Reading paragraph 14 of the DSS report, which read: ‘In the light of the foregoing, Magu has failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption drive of the present administration,’ Melaye told Magu that the report indicted him.

He continued: “So, on the premise of this request that we have received this from the DSS; The DSS is to us what the FBI and CIA are and we cannot ridicule, we cannot undermine and we cannot put in abeyance the report of the DSS. Anyone who wants to be chairman of EFCC must have the character and characteristics of the wife of Caesar.

"You must be unblemished, you must be pure, you must be stainless. From the questions and answers that have been going on, from my own myopic point of view, I conclude that there is a case in the police station which you are aware of where EFCC people raided a particular house, Cs-of-O were taken and those Cs-of-O were found in the market and police have investigated and two of the Cs-of-O have been returned to the owner.

"Under your watch as EFCC chairman do you still think, you, after this report and as a result of what has happened to the Cs-of-O of innocent Nigerians, do you still see yourself qualified to be the chairman of EFCC or we take you to Golgotha?”

Also, Senator Barnabas Gemade, APC, Benue North -East, asked Magu: “I saw in the DSS letter three major accusations, one, which is dealing with security fact and the second one is that one Air Commodore Umar Mohammed secured an accommodation for you and the third one is an issue of integrity.

They say that perception is very important and this issue of integrity, the same Umar whom I do not personally know is a dubious personality and this report therefore tends to show that your friendship with this Umar Mohammed therefore indicates that your integrity is also in question and you have not responded to that matter. As a senator who is Umar Mohammed and what is your relationship with him?

Magu’s reply

Answering the question, Magu said: “This paper is the same paper, the document that was here before that time, verbatim, I have read it. One is missing, in those days there were two reports of such submitted to this office the same day and there were two of such reports submitted by the same law enforcement agency.

"Two different reports submitted the same day about the same people. That goes to tell you the credibility of such an institution.

"I have respect for everybody in this hall and I have senior brothers in this hall. Elder Gemade, please what does it mean if an institution submits two varying reports of the same person on the same day? Dino is my friend and we are fighting corruption together until he came to this house here and abandoned us. I have to be open.

“The case with the stolen Cs-of-O, it is not everything that is done in the EFCC I have knowledge of. The EFCC is too big, believe you me, if not now, I didn’t know there was a case pending against EFCC staff in a police station. I will make sure whoever is involved is dealt with. So I will now go back and investigate it and give you a feedback after my investigation.

“My relationship with Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd) — I didn’t know him from Adam until we were appointed members of the Armed Forces Investigation Panel. The house I am staying actually belonged to the late Dora Akunyili.

"After the burial, her son was staying in the US and was looking for money to go back to the US, that was how the house was got. It was rented, they call it safe house.

"Every key personnel of government do stay in safe houses and it was actually rented and furnished by them. I didn’t know when my rent will expire. I was actually comfortable in Karu if not for the pressure from people in authority that I must relocate or they will deal with me.”