The security ring around Ibrahim Magu and key officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been strengthened after a gun attack on its Abuja office yesterday.
It is also understood that security has been beefed for the EFCC Acting Chairman’s mother, who lives in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, including his family members.
The new security measures were taken after some gunmen on Wednesday attacked the agency’s office in Abuja.
The gunmen, who stormed the facility in the early hours of yesterday shooting sporadically, were however repelled by guards.
They then dropped a death threat for a senior investigator, Ishaku Sharu, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud.
Speaking on the security measures, a source who pleaded not to be named, said the last seven months had been tough for Magu because of his refusal to bow to pressure from some high-profile suspects and Politically-Exposed Persons.
The source said: “In the past few weeks, security had been beefed up for Magu and his immediate family because of threats from some forces.
“His office was also recently reorganized in line with the new security model. It is so bad that Magu now keeps his itinerary to himself until the last minute.
“Hitherto, there was no protection for Magu’s aged mother in Maiduguri. But of recent, some suspected elements have been prowling the family house in the Borno State capital and issuing threats to the woman.
“Due to old age, the mother of the Acting chairman could not recognise these elements. To avoid any harm, security has now been provided in and around the house.
“And following the recent raid of Magu’s uncompleted building in Karshi, Abuja by some suspected agents, the police have deployed in more men for sentry duties.”
“It has really been tough because the pressure is too much on Magu, EFCC investigators and their families.
“With the invasion of the strategic office of the EFCC in Zone 7, it is evident that we need to strengthen security for all our operatives.”
Also, a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the attack, read:
“A major security breach was recorded at the headquarters of the EFCC in the early hours of Wednesday, August 16, 2017 as unknown gunmen attacked the office located at Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
“The group of heavily armed bandits invaded the office at about 05.00 hours and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked in the premises in the process. However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty.
“The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the Commission.
“Sharu, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section, is in charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military brass hats.
“The attack on the Zone 7 office, which houses the Commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, is coming few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor, was shot and injured by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”
“The latest incident has already been reported to the police for investigation.”
