Salami panel recommends Magu’s sack as EFCC boss

The Justice Ayo Salami panel has recommended the sack of Ibrahim Magu, a commissioner of police, as the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), TheCable can report.

The panel, which submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, also asked the president to appoint a new EFCC chairman in an interim position for two years.

Buhari should also look outside the police force in appointing the next chairman, the panel recommended.

At the presentation of its final report, Salami, chairman of the panel, said: “Your Excellency, permit me to say that four successive chairmen of the EFCC from inception have been drawn from the police. Therefore, in appointing a new chairman of EFCC, consideration should be given to candidates from other law enforcement or security agencies and qualified core staff of EFCC as provided in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment Act 2004).

“It is also important to point out that at the moment, 970 policemen (114 drivers, 641 mobile policemen and 215 operations), are on secondment in the EFCC. Therefore, an exit plan for the disengagement of the police and other personnel within two years from now should be considered. This will address the issue of no promotion of core staff for over nine years.

“Your Excellency, our thinking here is that whoever you are appointing other than a core EFCC staff, should be in transitional capacity of two years, during which period an arrangement would be made for appointment of any of the core staff who has been commended by National Crime Agency, UK and other international law enforcement for their professionalism.”

TheCable had revealed in August that the panel, in its interim report, recommended Magu’s sack and prosecution over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

In July, TheCable had also reported that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was preparing charges against Magu.

Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, had petitioned the president, levelling allegations of corruption and insubordination against Magu.

Magu was subsequently arrested, detained and suspended as the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency.