Ibrahim Magu, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the anti-graft agency is winning the fight against corruption, recalling how a lawyer “defeated” 34 Senior Advocates Nigeria (SAN) in a corruption case.
Magu accused some senior lawyers, who benefitted from the federal government’s scholarship opportunities, of turning round to work against the country by defending corrupt individuals.
He also said some corrupt persons were in the habit of hiring journalists to write against the EFCC, but said the commission would remain relentless in its quest to restore sanity to the country.
He was speaking to a coalition of civil society groups who visited the headquarters of the commission in Abuja on Tuesday.
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“One of the big challenges we have in the effective prosecution of the war on corruption is that of very senior lawyers who Nigeria has been very kind to: Those who went to good schools here, when Nigeria was good, many of them, on government scholarship; those who Nigeria has given so much opportunity,” he said.
“When we have corruption cases, cases of people who have stolen food from the mouths of our children; when we have cases of people who have stolen money meant to build hospitals and buy drugs; when we have cases of people who have stolen all the money meant to buy guns for our soldiers to fight Boko Haram, when we have all these cases of wicked people who have stolen Nigeria’s money, they run to these same senior lawyers, give them part of the stolen money and mobilise them to fight us, to delay us in court and to deny Nigerians of justice. These are the people who do not want justice for the common man.
“The other day, 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria fought against only one small EFCC lawyer in court and he defeated all of them! What we are doing today is not by our power, it is the power of the Nigerian people and the power of God behind us!
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“Corrupt people hire journalists to abuse us every day, they say we are not doing the work according to the law. But, that is not true. There is no agency that follows the law more than EFCC. None. Before we arrest you, or seize your property or do anything to you, we check the law, we go to court and get court order. That is why we are winning; that is why we are defeating them everyday.”
He urged the public to continue supporting EFCC’s “just cause”, saying all the stolen wealth recovered by the agency had been returned to the government.
“We want the Nigerian people to continue to support us, continue to support Mr. president’s war on corruption,” he said.
“We have many corruption cases in court. We are getting them every day from everywhere and we are recovering stolen money and taking corrupt people to court.
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“The money we have recovered and the money we are going to get back from them – billions and billions of naira – is being paid back to government and will be used to do what it was originally meant for – to build hospitals, send our children to school, build roads and railways, create employment and defend our country.
“We have no other country than Nigeria. This war is the war of the people.
“Apart from the fear of God, we have no other fear. Apart from the interest of Nigeria, we have no other interest. And apart from the Rule of Law, we have no other rule guiding the work we are doing today. The days of impunity are over.
“Victory is certain for the common man! Aluta continua!”
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14 comments
Your comment..May Almighty Allah guide n be your protectorin this fight 4 d common man.
Let them say, truth must prevailed
Just don’t mind them be focused ! Surely they will fight, but God is against them. The common man whom they have stolen dry, pauperised will surely win. Go for more of them , more Nigerians are on your side than those against you. Private schools has taken over the place of public schools, all because of corrupt , plastic life we have imbibed. Kalu
Your comment..In fighting the corruption canker, it is imperative that we do so within the ambit of the law – devoid of populism, sentimentality, sensationalism etc. In law, legality & morality are not synonymous & I believe an accused person is presumed innocent until otherwise proven guilty. It is certainly the Lawyer’s call to defend a client if so – approached by the client & I wouldn’t subscribe to Magu’s outburst of “senior Lawyers who have enjoyed Government scholarship defending criminals against the Government!” The Lawyers, I dare say, are doing exactly what they have been trained to do & if prosecutors do their homework diligently, not only the guilty “accused persons” but even crooked Lawyers should at the end of the day be exposed & appropriately sanctioned!
How many lawyers have you seen sanctioned in Nigeria? Were not the same lawyers who followed Tarfa (their own) when he went to court on charges of disrupting justice?
I may not subscribe also to some of the outburst of Magu as this will put the judiciary in an undue stress and also on collision cause with EFCC and the government. However, it is pertinent for our judiciary to purge itself of some of the accusations against it of subverting justice rather than protecting it.
I am with the law and with good governance.
SWEEP THE FLOOR FOR US MY MENTOR WE SHALL SOON JOIN YOU IN DEALING WITH CORRUPT CITIZENS AND EVEN NON-CITIZENS.
Good! This Man has spoken my mind. Nigerians will no longer tolerate the sharing of the public funds between criminals and lawyers.
Carry on Sir may Almighty Allah be with you at anywhere you are.
Loads of Ameen my bro!
Continue your good works oga magu, we are solidly behind you.
Magu’s position is the correct one. However, I disagree with his assertion pertaining to ‘One Very Small Lawyer’. There is no small lawyer as per as I know. He is a lawyer, no matter his post-call age, and now the ‘champion’.
Your comment..What re u saying, re the Lawyers not to accept briefs from accused persons standing trial from ur agency or what? Presumption of innocence is a constitutional right of accused no matter d offence. EFCC & other agencies of govt with prosecutory powers has Lawyers to use too. EFCC can farm out cases to private Lawyers too. Its d right of an accused to ve an Attorney & u cant blame Lawyers 4 dis.
Nigeria is the only country we have. Let us solve our problem by our self. More grease to your elbow Magu.
God protect your life to safe Nigerian from the hands of crocks