Panel: Magu’s invitation in his best interest – Presidency

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, says the invitation of the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential panel was in his best interest.

Adesina said this during Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday..

The President’s spokesman said Magu, who was released after 10 days in police custody, was not on trial but was only invited to tell his own side of the story.

On the legality of Magu’s prolonged detention, Adesina said, “If anything illegal has been done, there are ways to seek redress for it but I think it is in the best interest of everybody including Magu for the panel to have invited him to hear his side of the story.

“I can tell you on authority that before this became a public issue, the panel had been sitting for weeks and when the panel established some grounds for Mr. Magu to be invited, the President then gave approval for him to be invited and he was invited and he came.”

Adesina said Magu was told to step aside to allow for a seamless investigation.

When asked if it was legal for Magu to have been detained for 10 days without charge, Adesina said he was not a lawyer and as such he could not comment on legal matters.

The President’s aide said the investigation of the suspended EFCC boss was a credit to the regime of the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).


According to him, Magu’s ordeal is evidence that no one was above the law.

Magu’s lawyer, Mr. Tosin Ojaomo, who was also on the programme, said all the allegations levelled against his client were false.

Ojaomo, however, could not respond when asked if Magu would be challenging his suspension.

Magu was accused of being unable to account for the interest accrued to N550bn recovered funds.

The suspended EFCC boss was also accused of buying a property in Dubai worth over N500m.

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