The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration not to compromise the ongoing probe of the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The party said the Presidency should rather ensure that Magu answered for alleged corruption, reported violation of rules, victimization of Nigerians and stealing of recovered funds for which he was suspended.
Magu has been suspended by President Buhari over allegations of infraction levelled against him.
Before his suspension, a few days ago, Magu was arrested, grilled and detained at the Force Headquarters by security operatives.
The PDP, in a statement, on Saturday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, reiterated that the federal government should prosecute Magu and take decisive steps to restore the integrity of the EFCC by thoroughly screening his successor in order to achieve optimum results.
The PDP also urged an investigation into the alleged connection between the indicted EFCC boss and certain judges handling EFCC cases, while calling on the judiciary to sanitize the courts.
“Magu has not only been unfit to lead an agency like the EFCC but had also reduced the anti-corruption agency to a house of corruption and a partisan witch-hunt organisation that thrives in violation of rules, abuse of investigation processes, manipulation of court procedures as well as a vehicle to harass and extort money from innocent Nigerians.
“The PDP states that Magu should be made to provide answers to allegations in the public space that he was more interested in securing politically induced convictions rather than justice for which he allegedly turned the EFCC into a terror house where innocent Nigerians are harassed with trumped-up charges and convicted on media trial even before being allowed to defend themselves in court.
“There are also allegations of violation of rights, including allegedly making his victims to make statements in custody without the services of their lawyers.
“This is in addition to insinuations in the public that the indicted EFCC boss was also harassing certain judges to get conviction on cases.
“Similarly, there are several cases of officers and ranks of the commission whose employment in the service were unjustly suspended or terminated,” the party said.
