Uncertainty reigned Tuesday in Abuja on the fate of the director of the anti-corruption agency of Nigeria the day after a summons by investigators on charges of embezzlement, the authorities denied his arrest announced by local media. Ibrahim Magu, head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was not arrested by police on Monday as local press reports quoted his spokesperson as he was "invited by a committee special investigation to explain the charges of embezzlement and seizure of property, "said the agency which he heads.
"In accordance with the principle of fairness and justice, it was necessary that the director, Mr. Magu, had the opportunity to respond to the allegations made against him, which are serious," said a source within the presidency under the guise of 'anonymity. "To occupy a position (as) high as that of the director of the EFCC, one must be above all suspicion (...) nobody, I mean nobody is above the law", a added this source.
A political affair?
Ibrahim Magu did not make a public appearance on Tuesday and his spokesperson, Tony Amokedo, remains unreachable. Neither the presidency nor the EFCC made statements on Tuesday despite strong pressure from civil society. This case, which many suspect to be primarily political, comes after the leak of a note from the Attorney General intended for President Muhammadu Buhari, dating from June, containing a series of allegations against Magu, a relative of the chief of the State.
The head of the fight against corruption, "cancer" of Nigeria in the words of President Buhari, is accused of having confiscated seized property during searches of ill-gotten property. But many observers denounce accusations motivated by political interests, and many are those in the Nigerian financial and political elite who wish to oust Magu. According to Femi Odekunle, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, it is more a “power game behind the scenes of power” than a court case.
Former police officer, Magu has been a key figure in Buhari's anti-corruption campaign since he came to power in 2015. Former General Buhari was elected in 2015 and then in 2019, notably on the promise to tackle endemic corruption in Nigeria, the continent's leading oil producer, but few large-scale cases have so far been brought to justice. Critics accuse the EFCC of witch-hunting against its opponents.
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