Magu Probe: Documents Reveal FIRS Paid For Vehicles Auctioned By EFCC

Documents obtained by THE WHISTLER have revealed that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had applied and made payments to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the purchase of forfeited vehicles placed on auction by the anti-graft agency.

The FIRS approached the EFCC to purchase the forfeited vehicles for use as operational vehicles by its organization. It wrote three letters to the EFCC requesting for auction vehicles to aid its operations.

The first letter was dated February 25, 2020, and signed by its chairman, Muhammad Nami, with reference number FIRS/ECWEFCC/5948/20/127.

Nami, in the letter addressed to the suspended EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, urged the agency to “sell some of the forfeited motor vehicles and boats in your custody for our use as operational vehicles.”

The FIRS Chairman noted in the letter that, “most of our staff from the Directorate cadre, Management staff, as well as Board members are in need of official vehicles. We are confident that you will oblige us this request to buy the following vehicles at affordable prices: Toyota Corolla, Hilux Jeeps, Costa Buses, SUVs, and boats.”

But contrary to reports that the EFCC had auctioned forfeited vehicles in its custody to some government agencies that were yet to pay, documents seen by THE WHISTLER show that FIRS made payments to the EFCC but was yet to receive the auctioned vehicles from the anti-grant agency.

Reports had quoted Magu to have said in a letter addressed to the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel investigating him for corruption, that some of the vehicles recovered by the anti-corruption agency were auctioned to the Presidential Villa, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the FIRS, among others.

But a payment confirmation letter signed by EFCC’s secretary, Ola Olukoyede, which was seen by THE WHISTLER, revealed that the anti-graft agency allocated two (2) Toyota Hilux and two Hiace Buses to the FIRS.

The letter confirmed that FIRS paid the total auction price of N17,400,000 for the two (2) Toyota Hilux and two Hiace Buses.

The letter said FIRS, “paid the sum of N17,400,000.00 into the EFCC RECOVERED FUNDS ACCOUNTS-MAIN. Account number: 0020089341028 with CBN

“The Finance and Accounts department of the Commission has confirmed payment of the said amount of 17, 400,000.000 above,” said the letter, adding that, “The allottee has paid the sum of One Million, Three Hundred and Five Thousand (N1,305,000.00) being the VAT on two (2) Toyota Hilux and Two (2) Hiace Buses into EFCC RECOVERED FUNDS ACCOUNTS-MAIN. Account number: 0020089341028 with CBN”

While the payment confirmation letter noted that,” Upon payment pf the auction price and VAT, the two (2) Toyota Hilux and Two (2) Hiace Buses are hereby released to the allotee,” a source in the FIRS confirmed to our correspondent that the revenue agency was yet to take delivery of the vehicles.

The FIRS Chairman had in another letter dated June 3, 2020, thanked the EFCC for approving the vehicles, where he noted that, “all the conditions before the release of the vehicles including payment and signing of the purchase agreement will be completed soon.”

The FIRS had made another request for additional vehicles, saying: “the Management of FIRS will appreciate if additional ten (10) SUVs, one (1) armored SUV, one hundred (100) Salone cars, twenty (20) Hiace buses and ten (10) Hilux vans could be auctioned to the Service to be used in our numerous office located all over the country. The Service operates in more than 153 offices nationwide and would be gald if your Commission could graciously alocate more than the specified vehicles above in possible, to enable the Service attend to the needs of our field offices.”

The FIRS chairman wrote to the EFCC on July 3rd, requesting for the following auction vehicles to be sold the revenue agency: One Toyo Land Cruiser, one Toyota Avalon, one Toyota Lexus, five Toyota Camrys and one Toyota Corolla.

Nami noted in the last letter that the FIRS had, “identified some Toyota Hiace buses in your Abuja office at the point of inspecting the four (4) vehicles earlier allocated to us by you. We would be grateful if Seven (7) of such buses are sold to us.”