Magu battles for bail as EFCC chiefs face panel

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, who is under investigation by a presidential panel, has requested bail from custody.

He has spent the fourth day at the Force Criminal investigation Department (FCID).

Magu has been detained at the FCID since Monday when he first appeared before the panel.

The presidential panel is probing Magu for allegations of misconduct levelled against him by Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.

Also on Thursday, 16 top officials of EFCC and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), appeared before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel sitting in Abuja.

Among those grilled are: Secretary to the EFCC Mr. Ola Oloyede, Director of Operations Mr. Mohammed Umar and a former Director of Organisational support – now a Commissioner of Police – Bolaji Salami.

A source said: “The committee gave the EFCC chiefs one week deadline to submit the list of cases investigated and prosecuted since 2015.

“I think the committee is interested in the status of each case. The sectional heads promised to meet up with the timeline.”

It was learnt that Magu returned to the detention facility in FCID about 8pm.

Investigation showed that lawyers defending Magu made an oral submission for his bail.

They pleaded with the committee to prevail on Inspector-General of Police to release Magu on bail because it is his fundamental right.

A member of the committee said Magu was being “detained based on directive.”

– The Nation