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Tag: Magu

  • It is cheaper to prevent corruption than fight it – Magu

    The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it is cheaper to prevent corruption than to fight it.

    Mr. Magu said this on Thursday during the Anti-Corruption Sensitisation Programme organised for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and Aviation Sector Workers Abuja.

    He said that section six of the EFCC Act required the commission to, in addition to its enforcement responsibilities, take measures to prevent economic and financial crimes.

    Mr. Magu explained that part of such preventive measures was an aggressive sensitisation campaign, public enlightenment and education in both public and private sectors.

    The essence, according to him, is to improve workplace consciousness of corruption and its corrosive effects and encourage workers to embrace them.

    “The EFCC alone couldn’t fight and win the war against corruption in Nigeria.

    “I would like to seize this opportunity to remind us that, corruption affects all of us.

    “We must resolve to fight it to a standstill in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s admonition to us that, “If we don`t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.

    “We must not allow that to happen, for the sake of our children and the unborn generation.’’

    Mr. Magu said that the airport, as the most important gateway into the country, was strategic in many ways.

    He said that since airport was foreigners’ first contact with Nigeria, the impression they formed about the country would be largely informed by the conduct of aviation professionals.

    According to Mr. Magu, this is why the conduct of aviation professionals is key to the efforts at national rebirth, especially the critical economic mandate of attracting foreign direct investment into the economy.

    He enjoined aviation workers to erase practices, attitudes and behaviours that could cast a slur on the nation’s reputation, thereby making Nigeria an unattractive destination for both tourists and investors.

    The EFCC boss called on the management of FAAN to put screening and monitoring systems in place to ensure that airport staff delivered service to the best international practices.

    “As things stand, except we delude ourselves, we cannot deny that the twin evil of corruption and poor infrastructure have blighted our aviation industry.

    “Our presence here today is to bring the message of anti-corruption to the management and staff of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation workers.

    “In recent times, many cases of corruption have been reported in the sector, ranging from misuse of funds, bribery, extortion to abuse of authority by officials at the airports.

    “The implication of this is the compelling need to strengthen our key integrity systems by consciously eliminating practices that promote corrupt tendencies in the public sectors.

    “It is gratifying that FAAN has inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to ensure transparency, accountability and good ethical practices,’’ he said.

    Mr. Magu, while commending the management of FAAN for the steps taken to prevent corruption, also advised the staff to familiarise themselves with the EFCC Act and other laws affecting their duties.

    He said that the Commission was determined more than ever before to rid all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of all forms of fraudulent activities.

    According to him, FAAN in collaboration with the EFCC, can fight corruption effectively.

    The Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, commended EFCC for the initiative to take anti-corruption campaign to the airport, saying that the airport was the best choice.

    Mr. Dunoma said that FAAN was determined to collaborate with EFCC in the fight against corruption especially in the aviation sector.

    He also called on the agency to sustain the sensitisation campaign by ensuring that all the airports in the country were covered as well as training of intelligence unit of aviation security on anti-corruption.

    Mr. Dunoma urged the participants to pay attention to the presentation by the EFCC to help equip them to support actively in the fight against corruption.

     

    (NAN)

  • EFCC, SSS, NIA faceoff: Magu blows hot; says ‘No street fight between my men and anybody’

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday denied allegations of street fights between EFCC and two security agencies: Nigeria Intelligence Agency, NIA, and the State Security Service, SSS.

    Magu spoke during the meeting of the Senate ad-hoc committee constituted to investigate the face-off-stance between the agencies. was in response to comments by the chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee constituted to investigate the face-off, Francis Alimikhena.

    The chairman of the committee, Sen. Francis Alimikhena while insisting that the hearing be held in presence of journalists had referred to the face-off among the agencies as street fight.

    “There is nothing hidden because they fought in the street,” he said “They fought dirty and Nigerian people will like to know what led to that fight. What happened in that dirty fight, I don’t think it’s something we should hide from the public. For me, I would prefer that we do this openly for Nigerians to see. It’s a shame on all of us for sister security agencies to be fighting dirty in the street. Which means we don’t have spirit de corps. For them to fight in the public then they should tell us what led to that fight.”

    The senator was the only one among the five committee members who wanted the hearing made public.

    Mr. Magu, however, did not wait for the commencement of the closed-door session before venting his dissatisfaction at the senator’s choice of words.

    The EFCC boss told the senator that the EFCC never engaged in street fight but went out to carry out its constitutional duty.

    “Mr. Chairman, I really don’t know. There was no street fight, there was no dirty fight. We did not fight anybody. So, the reference to street fight or dirty fight, I don’t think its proper sir. There was never a street fight. My men went there, they were not allowed to execute the due warrant of arrest and the search warrant.”

    The senator did not respond to his comments.

    The lawmakers then agreed to hold the hearing behind closed door.

    The committee also agreed to hold separate hearing for each of the agencies, starting with the EFCC, before inviting the three to a final hearing.

    Recall that TheNewsGuru.com had earlier reported the incident in November when NIA and SSS officials prevented the EFCC operatives from arresting Ita Ekpeyong, ex-head of the SSS; and Ayodele Oke, ex-head of the NIA.

  • Magu won’t give up on fight against corruption despite attack, threat to his life – EFCC

    A police sergeant attached to acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, was reportedly killed on Tuesday night after some gunmen broke into his house in Abuja.

    The attackers were said to have stormed the house located in Karshi area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, at about 10pm, opening fire on the policemen stationed there.

    Magu Confirming the attack on his farmhouse yesterday, Magu vowed that he would not bow to the antics of his detractors in the prosecution of the anti-corruption war in Nigeria.

    Magu said he would do all within his powers to rid Nigeria of corruption, despite the spate of physical and verbal assaults by those opposed to the war.

    The EFCC boss, who spoke through spokesman of the agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission would not speculate on the motive for the attack.

    “EFCC can confirm an attack on the property of the acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu, which unfortunately resulted in the death of a security official.

    “The property, a farmhouse located in Karshi, a suburb of Abuja, was attacked by unknown gunmen at about 10pm on December 12, 2017 . “The unidentified men murdered a police sergeant on duty.

    The incident was the second such attack on the same farmhouse. ‘’While the commission will not speculate on the motives for the attack or the sponsors, it wishes to state that the EFCC under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu will not be deterred in its mission of ridding Nigeria of corruption,” he said.

    It will be recalled that gunmen, yet to be identified had in August this year, descended on the office of the agency in Zone Seven in the FCT, destroying the building, but the motive of the attack is yet to be ascertained.

    During the invasion, the gunmen, who attacked the office around 05.00 hours, riddled buildings in the premises with bullets and damaged many operational vehicles parked there. However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty forcing the hoodlums to escape in a getaway vehicle, but not without leaving a death threat for one of its main investigators, Ishaku Sharu.

    Ishaku, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section, is in charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military officers.

    The attack on the Zone 7 office, which houses the Commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, followed another fatal one in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when an investigator, Austin Okwor, was shot and wounded.

  • How gunmen invaded Magu’s house, kill policeman

    Armed persons on Tuesday night attacked an unoccupied residence of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

    The house, located within a farm owned by Mr. Magu in Karshi, a suburb of Abuja, was stormed by unidentified attackers at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

    The attackers subdued a police officer and another civilian working on the property and tied them up before beating the duo to pulp.

    “The policeman died from the beating,” a source close to the EFCC boss’s family disclosed.

    The farmstead was placed under police security a few months ago following earlier attack on it in which the uncompleted house was ransacked in suspicious circumstances.

    The attack on the property was also followed not long afterward by a dawn attack on the EFCC office in Abuja in August.

    “That was what warranted additional security around Mr. Magu and his family,” the source explained.

    The motive behind the latest attack is however said to be hazy as the attackers also carted away five cattle and some sheep that were being reared in the compound.

  • Fight against corruption now ‘a do or die affair’ – Magu

    The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu on Monday said the fight against corruption in the country has now become ‘a do or die affair’.

    Magu spoke at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja after leading a rally to commemorate the International Anti-corruption Day, said corruption is Nigeria’s number one enemy.

    “For us as a country, the fight against corruption is a do or die affair; we have to win the battle or die trying. Corruption, as agreed by every consensus, is our number one enemy and as President Muhammadu Buhari correctly prescribed, if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,” he said.

    The EFCC boss said Nigerians cannot afford to be on the fence on the corruption issue, as he called for a consensus against the malady.

    “The fight against corruption is now a war in which there is clear line between forces of evil and those of good; between agents of progress and reactionary elements who mean no good.

    “For those of us on this side; in the anti-corruption agencies of government, in the media, and civil society, the dagger is drawn and I believe I am speaking the mind of everyone on this side that we intend neither retreat nor surrender in our noble intention to cure our country of the evils of corruption,” he said.

    Mr. Magu said the Commission was “relentless” in its duties but added EFCC alone could not win the fight.

    “As I often say, our bit is not enough. Winning the war against corruption is the aggregate of our collective bits and pieces. No Nigerian can afford to be on the fence in this effort to rid our country of its Enemy Number One. It is time for all hands to be on deck to march on corruption and the corrupt”.

    He said the EFCC “has broken new grounds in investigating and prosecuting important cases, and recovery of stolen money. Our asset recovery derive has raked in billions of naira to the federal government in form of forfeitures. We have also secured 171 convictions within the last one year”.

    In his remarks, the accountant general of the federation, Anthony Mkpe, who took part in the walk, said his presence was to show solidarity to the work of the EFCC and underscore the importance of the fight against corruption.

    He commended the effort of the EFCC as he urged all Nigerians to lend their support to the federal government’s anti-corruption drive and initiatives.

  • Mainagate: Magu opens up, says EFCC recovered N2.8b cash, luxurious assets from pension thieves

    …Says Magu is still wanted by the agency

    …Denies re-looting recovered assets

    …blasts Senate committee for indicting it of sharing recovered asset

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’S), Ibrahim Magu on Saturday confirmed that over N2.8billion was recovered from suspected pension thieves in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Police Pension Office.

    According to Magu, the cash component excludes many choice assets placed either under permanent or interim forfeiture by courts.

    Besides, he insisted that none of the assets seized by the EFCC was re-looted by the operatives of the commission under any guise.

    Magu, in a bare it all fact-sheet he made available to the National Assembly to clear the air on the controversy on the assets seized from pension fraud suspects challenged the brains behind the rumour of re-looting to go “the whole hog to name the “ghost” officials that engaged in this “sharing” of pension booty, and the place and time the “sharing” took place.”

    He insisted that former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina remains wanted by the anti-graft agency.

    But he said Maina’s $2million Abuja mansion and six others have been placed under interim forfeiture.

    Details of Maina’s alleged assets are contained in the document.

    Magu said there was no cause for alarm because all seized assets were well-documented.

    He said what was playing out was a “diversionary gambit intended to befuddle ongoing inquiry over the Maina reinstatement saga by smearing anyone or agency that is capable of unmasking the real pension thieves.”

    Magu said: “The suspects investigated in the Police Pension fraud from whom assets were seized, include: Atiku Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Oyegbula, Uzuoma Cyril Attang, Sani Habila Zira, John Yusuf and their associated companies and persons.

    “In the pension office of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, those from whom properties were recovered are Shaibu Teidi, Phina Chidi, Abdul Mohammed, Emmanuel Olanipekun, Aliyu Bello and their associated companies and persons.

    “The assets seized from these suspects are in two categories. There are assets that are under interim forfeiture which means that they are temporally seized pending the determination of the substantive cases in court.

    “Such assets cannot be dissipated because the cases are pending in court. The reality is, most of the assets recovered from pension fraud suspects belong in this category.

    “The cash element of the recoveries is also carefully documented. The total funds recovered stand at N2, 886,743,016.71; $3,017,556.73; and €3,385.40.

    “The sum of N16, 185,131,847.09 which was recovered from an illegal account in an old generation bank has since been remitted to the office of the Head of Service, while N369, 558,640.99 represents the cash component of John Yusuf’s final forfeiture. There is no opacity regarding the Commission’s handling of the assets recovered from suspects of pension fraud. The fact speaks for itself.”

    On the properties confiscated from suspected pension thieves, Magu said they are being managed in a transparent arrangement put in place by the Assets Forfeiture Department of the Commission.

    He said Etudo & Co. Estate Surveyors & Valuers, a reputable estate management firm, was engaged to manage the assets, with the exception of assets recovered from Essai Dangabar, which are being managed by Court Registrar based on Court Order.”

    He added: “All but one of the assets recovered from suspects in the pension office of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is under interim forfeiture.

    “The exception is Brifina Hotel, which was recovered from Shaibu Teidi. He denied ownership of the property and the court ordered its final forfeiture to the Federal Government. The property has since been handed over to government and is now being used as office by some agencies of government including the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

    “It is only assets recovered from John Yusuf, who was convicted under a plea bargain arrangement for fraud in the Police Pension office that have been permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. These assets are 32 units in number.

    “The assets, both those under interim forfeiture and the few under final forfeiture, are being managed in a transparent arrangement put in place by the Assets Forfeiture Department of the Commission. Etudo & Co. Estate Surveyors & Valuers, a reputable estate management firm, was engaged to manage the assets, with the exception of assets recovered from Essai Dangabar, which are being managed by Court Registrar based on Court Order.

    “The proceeds of rent on the properties that had successfully been let out by the firm are fully documented and available in the recovery account of the Commission.”

    Magu said the assets recently seized from Maina were not yet captured in the Interim/Final forfeiture analysis by the anti-graft agency.

    He also gave the details of investigation on Maina and what EFCC detectives uncovered.

    He insisted that there is still a subsisting warrant of arrest against Maina.

    He said: “Recoveries not captured in the interim/final forfeiture analysis, include those that were recently recovered from Maina in Abuja and Kaduna.

    “They include seven properties in Kaduna. The properties are a two- storey commercial building located on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, a bungalow located on Katuru Road, and four separate properties located on Kano Road in Kawo New Extension, Kaduna. The other property which is still under construction is a set of four one-storey block of flats located at No. 5, Sokoto Road adjacent to the Zamfara State Governor’s Lodge, Kaduna. Other properties linked to Maina include No. 12, 11th Road, Kado Estate, Abuja; No. A5 Omenai H.O (B Close) Kado Estate; No. 9, Eneli TCM Close, (A Close) Kado Estate; No. 8, Kolo S Close (A Close) Kado Estate; Luxury apartments (eight blocks of flats; six units of three bedrooms; two units of two bedrooms) located at Plot 965, Cadastral C2, Life Camp, Abuja and a sprawling edifice located at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi, Abuja.

    “Maina had a total inflow of over N2.7 billion between 2010 and 2013, with 95 per cent of the deposits being in cash. It was discovered that Faizal Abdullahi’s Account (his son), had a turnover of over N1.5 billion in less than a year.

    “It should also be noted that Maina operated these accounts through telephone and email messages.

    Most of the funds were converted to foreign currencies through Bureau De Change and delivered to Maina in cash.

    “Part of the funds was used to purchase properties, including the house at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi which he bought for $2 million in cash. Maina has failed to respond to invitations by the EFCC and he has been put on the Interpol Red Notice. Presently, there is a subsisting warrant of arrest against Maina.”

    Magu expressed regrets that the public was misinformed by some lawmakers and some unnamed agents of Maina on the status of assets recovered from suspects in pension fraud cases investigated by the EFCC.

    “The EFCC views with grave concern, the manner in which the allegation, made by unnamed person(s) in close-door session before the committee, was publicly orchestrated at the Senate plenary without the commission having the opportunity to respond. The omission has tragically led to misinformation regarding the status of recovered pension assets. This is unwarranted.

    “It should be stated that there had been no controversy regarding the status of assets recovered from suspects in pension fraud cases investigated by the commission.

    “These assets are well documented, and their current status has been communicated to the relevant organs of government.

    “Had the Senate exercised restraint and sought information on the status of the assets, it would certainly have been obliged, and the nation spared the ordeal of the abominable frenzy over pension assets that were supposedly “shared” by unnamed “officials of the EFCC”.

    “The purveyors of the salacious tale should have gone the whole hog to name the “ghost” officials that engaged in this “sharing” of pension booty, and the place and time the “sharing” took place.

    “They also did not list the properties that were supposedly recovered by Adbulrasheed Maina and handed over to the EFCC. They equally failed to indicate when the properties were handed over to the EFCC by Maina.

    “The failure to provide this information is clear indication that what is playing out is diversionary gambit intended to befuddle ongoing inquiry over the Maina reinstatement saga by smearing anyone or agency that is capable of unmasking the real pension thieves.”

    “The EFCC has no record of any collaboration between it and the Maina–led Pension Reform Task Team in the investigation of pension fraud.

    “The only link between the EFCC and Maina was the participation of a few staff of the Commission in biometric verification exercise by the Maina Task Team. The leader of the EFCC team at the time was Col. I.D. Sule (retd.), a contract staff who was head of the Commission’s Servicom Unit.

    “The verification exercise was not a criminal investigation and no asset was recovered in the process.

    “It follows that if the EFCC did not receive any assets from Maina, its officials could not have shared what never existed? Again, those who claim that there was “sharing” of assets are at liberty to state which assets were “shared”, when the “sharing” took place, who supervised the “sharing”, and who got what.

    “As far as the Commission is concerned, all the assets recovered from pension fraud suspects, currently at the disposal of the EFCC, are products of its independent investigation.

     

  • EFCC will pursue Maina’s case to the end – Magu

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has vowed that the anti-graft agency would pursue the case of the ex-Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, to a conclusive end.

    Magu said the anti-graft agency has renewed the investigation into the embattled civil servant.

    Speaking with Channels TV, he said: “We are determined to get to the root of this matter. That’s why we have renewed the investigation. We will retrieve all properties or whatever must have been stolen from public funds.

    ”This is something that we have done as far back as 2011. The matter has been in court, and Maina was also charged before the court. He was arraigned in absentia.”

    Magu also said how Maina returned to the country despite being on EFCC watchlist must be investigated.

    ”I really don’t know what happened. But I know that he has been properly placed on the watch list and he cannot sneak into this country without the law enforcement agencies. So something is wrong somewhere. Actually we need to look at that,” he added.

    On what is being done to ensure Maina’s re-arrest, Magu said: ”He has already been declared wanted by Interpol and we are going to visit other countries for assistance, particularly Dubai, USA and UK. We are already on the manhunt, seriously.”

  • ‘Fight against corruption getting tougher,’ says EFCC boss, Magu

    The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has said that the fight against corruption is becoming tougher, urging all Nigerians, including children, to use every weapon at their disposal to fight it.

    Magu said this in Lagos on Friday during the sensitisation forum on the plan to launch “EFCC-Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) Corruption Busters”.

    He said the fight against corruption was not personal and therefore called on Nigerians, including those in Diaspora to join hands in the fight, stressing that the commission was already mobilising Nigerians outside the country for support.

    “The fight against corruption is becoming tougher. We cannot fight it alone. We want to mobilise everyone in the fight; the more people in the fight, the better. “I am determined in the fight against corruption.

    I urge other Nigerians not to get exhausted. Don’t expect anyone to thank you for fighting corruption. It is a thankless job.

    “Whatever weapons you have, use it against corruption. Use your strategic thinking; the fight must go on with or without me, it is not a personal thing. “The press have a lot to do in this fight. If they do more, the battle would be half solved,’’ Magu said.

    The Coordinator of CYIAC, Ms Foluke Michael, said the corruption busters would be launched on Dec. 9 to mark the UN International Anti-Corruption Day. Michael said that her platform was EFCC’s preventive project, stressing that the forum was a sensitisation programme targeted at the children, youths and women meeting global goals by 2030.

    She said that the CYIAC was launched in 2016 with the pilot scheme tagged; `My New Nigeria; Free from Corruption’, stressing that 2017 edition would kick-start with online campaign to sensitise children, youth and women.

    “The online campaign will be followed by the launch of CYIAC APP and nationwide registration portal on Nov. 1 for participants between ages 9 and 14 for category 1, and 15-25 years for category 2. “Participants will also be required to submit essays, short stories or creative ideas online based on the theme: `Imagine the World free from corruption’ between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15,’’ she said. Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise and Chairman, steering committee for Movement Against Corruption said both organisations had endorsed CYIAC as vehicle to reach out to children, youths and women.

    “The idea to involve young people in advocacy and fight against corruption is a movement in the right direction. “Corruption must be destroyed from the root in Nigeria if the sufferings of the masses will be alleviated,’’ she said.

  • Senate summons Magu, seven bank MDs over freezing of Patience Jonathan’s account

    The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Monday summoned acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu and the Managing Directors of seven banks over the freezing of the accounts of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

    The Senate is inviting seven banks Managing Directors at a time when the case is also being considered in the House of Representatives by the same committee.

    Those banks summoned by the Senate panel are Zenith Bank, First Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, Stanbic-IBTC, Diamond Bank and Skye Banks.

    The committee, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, issued the summons at the hearing of a petition by the former First Lady.

    According to the petition submitted for consideration on behalf of Jonathan by Granville Abibo (SAN), the former first lady complained that both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have at different times “unleashed terror, dehumanizing, degrading and despicable treatment” on herself and her blood relations without justification.

    The accounts in question in which the former first lady’s funds are trapped include that of companies Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development Investment Company and Transocean Property and Investment Limited.

    Also, the account of her NON-Governmental Organisation, The Women for Change Development Initiative, and A. Aruera Foundation as well as Finchley Top Homes Limited and the former Fist Lady’s salary account were frozen, the Senators were told.

    “The accounts of her siblings, Innocent Nyegerefaka, Mohammed Oba and Esther Oba have all been frozen by EFCC without an court order, all because they are blood relations of Dame Patience Jonathan,” the petition further reads.
    Anyanwu, who issued the summons, insisted that the Managing Directors must appear in person as no representative would be accepted.

    But the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, was absent from the hearing.
    In a letter sent to the committee, the agency said Magu was out of the country and would be returning on Tuesday (today).

    The committee therefore set Wednesday for Magu’s appearance.

    This was even as Patience Jonathan’s counsel informed the committee that they have resolved their differences with the NDLEA and hence would like to strike its name off the petition before the Senate.

    But the counsel to Patience Jonathan, Charles Ogboli, while speaking before the committee said the former first lady’s accounts and that of her relatives were frozen without any court order by the EFCC, adding that this culminated in the death of Lazarus Eware, a brother to Mrs. Jonathan.

    Ogboli said: “The immediate elder brother to Patience Jonathan, Mr. Lazarus Eware, died as a result of unfortunate maltreatment of him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as he could no longer cope in the face of this repeated humiliation terror attack and financial handicap.

    “He could no longer meet up with the responsibilities of his family, including children’s school fees and medical bills.

    “As we speak, his lifeless is still lying in a mortuary yet to be buried.

    “The only offence said to have been committed by him is that he is the elder brother to Dame Patience Jonathan.”

  • Patience Jonathan: ‘You are not above the law’, Reps tell Magu, threaten arrest

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday threatened to issue arrest warrant against the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, for shunning the invitation to address its committee on a petition filed by former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

    The Uzoma Nkem-Abonta led House Committee on Public Petition said warrant of arrest would be issued to compel Magu’s appearance on November 7.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the ex-first lady had petitioned the House over harassment and restriction on her bank accounts and that of her relatives by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    However, following Magu’s failure to appear at the continued hearing on Wednesday, the Committee said his disregard of the invitation was disrespectful to the parliament.

    “There is a need to say that people should work within the confines of the law because nobody is above the law

    “EFCC has consistently absented itself from this hearing. If it were here, perhaps we would have dispensed with this investigation.

    “What the EFCC is doing is not only unfair but disrespectful to the parliament,” Nkem-Abonta said.

    In addition, the Committee ordered five out of six banks where Jonathan and her relations have accounts to furnish her lawyers with details and relevant document on the restriction from the anti-graft agency and the courts.

    Earlier Jonathan’s representative had complained that only two banks complied with the Committee’s directive on lifting of the restriction.

    According to her counsel, Charles Ogboli, the former first lady was unable to access her accounts despite the Committee’s directive and the vacationing of the restriction order by the Appeal Court.