EXCLUSIVE: Buhari To Receive Report On Magu Friday, Requests Summary Of Findings

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved Friday November 20, for the submission of the final report of the Justice Ayo Salami Panel that investigated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under suspended acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

THE WHISTLER had reported on November 3 that the Panel wrote Buhari to request for a date for presentation of its final report after informing the President it had concluded its assignment.

In the letter addressed to the Chairman seen by THE WHISTLER,  Buhari asked the panel to be at the Exco Chambers of the Presidential Villa on Friday by 10 am for the presentation.

The President also requested that a “synopsis”  of the report be submitted to his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, by Thursday.

The President’s letter was conveyed to the panel by the chief of staff to the president on Tuesday.  

The panel started sitting on July 6, and has spent nearly five months to conclude its investigations.

Buhari approved Magu’s suspension as acting EFCC chairman on July 10, a few days after his arrest, to allow unhindered inquiry by the Presidential Panel. A Director of Operations in the Commission, Muhammed Umar, was named to replace him in acting capacity.

The Panel was set up following allegations of corruption and insubordination leveled against Magu by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Panel’s Terms of Reference

The Extent of Mismanagement/Diversion of Recovered Assets

“The panel is to investigate, verify and review the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets as it relates to EFCC, with a view to ascertaining the complicity or otherwise of the acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in the management of the assets recovered by the commission.

“Identify avenues through which the recovered assets are dissipated and seized, recovered, forfeited (interim and final) assets are valued, managed, disposed or mismanaged, with a view to ascertaining compliance or otherwise with extant laws, regulations, processes and procedures

“Review the existing procedures on the management of the seized, recovered and forfeited assets (interim and final) and proffer standard operational procedure for the management of seized, recovered and forfeited assets.

“Determine whether moveable or immoveable assets, including funds or cash recovered during his tenure, whether locally in Nigeria or abroad, are being kept safely in a manner as to preserve their original value.

“Identify locations of all moveable and immoveable assets, funds or cash that are under interim or final forfeiture, based on administrative or court orders and identify the bank accounts to which recovered funds or cash were paid into and whether generated interests from the recovered funds or cash were properly accounted for.

“It is also to confirm whether all the assets could be properly accounted for by the acting chairman and take measures to confirm if any of the assets had been diverted to the benefit of the acting chairman, his family, relations, friends or favoured staff and recover any of such diverted assets, funds or cash, if any and recommend if the funds should be returned to EFCC or appropriate government agency, entities or individuals.”

Membership of Panel

The panel is headed by the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, and has six other members namely:  DIG Anthony Ogbizi Michael (NPF)- South-South, Deputy Chairman; Muhammad Abubakar Babadoko, Federal Ministry of Justice (North Central); Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi (DSS) (North Central); Muhammad Shamsuddeen (OAGF) (North West); Douglas Egweme (NFIU) South-East, while Kazeem Attitebi (South-West) will serve as the Secretary