Magu: Those who return loot may still face trial

Ibrahim Magu, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the commission could still prosecute suspects even after they have returned stolen money to the treasury.

Magu had said in recent press interviews that the EFCC had recovered billions of naira, especially from its ongoing investigations into the $2.1billion arms money allegedly diverted by Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA).

In his first detailed interview since his appointment in November, Magu told The Interview, in its February edition, that “what matters first and foremost is for everyone involved in the arms deal scam to return the money he or she may have collected”.

“That does not preclude such suspect from facing prosecution,” he added.

He said this while answering a question on whether the EFCC would enter plea-bargaining with suspects or waive prosecution if stolen funds were returned.

Magu said the rat race for wealth among public office holders was one of the major reasons for rampant corruption in the country.

“Political offices in Nigeria are too attractive,” he said.

“This encourages a rat race of sorts. Also, the judiciary, which is the last resort, has allegedly been complicit, making civil servants who have been found guilty of corruption feel confident to poke the law in the face and go scot-free.”

Magu encouraged Nigerians to be outraged by the amount of money originally set aside for the war on Boko Haram, but “which was diverted for personal use”.

He said this was just one of the many cases of looted funds being investigated by the EFCC.

“There should be a national outrage by now. There is something wrong,” he said.