Briefing journalists shortly after the session, the Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Aliu Sabi Abdullahi said the rejection of Magu’s nomination was based on security reports available to the Senate.
“The Senate wishes to inform the general public that based on available security reports, it cannot proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the executive chairman of EFCC.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the said nomination and has returned the said nomination to Mr. President for further action,” he said.
Although no official information was given about the contents of the said security reports, it was later learnt that the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Malam Lawal Daura had in October 2016 sent a report named “Status Report” to the Senate president detailing the alleged crimes of Magu.
A Senate source said “the report is terrifying as it contained series of corruption allegations involving ownership of property, violation of financial rules and regulations and colluding with corrupt people, including those who are well known.”
The report was also said to have drawn the attention of the Senate to the alleged irregularity in Magu’s nomination to the effect that it was signed by the then Acting President and not the President.
The report suggested that the anti-corruption war of the current administration could suffer credibility problem if the process of appointing the EFCC chairman was not properly carried out.
It was equally learnt that Magu’s rejection was not unconnected with the dirty war among members of President Buhari’s kitchen cabinet.
It was gathered that in the heated closed-door session, even APC senators were said to be divided on the matter while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators were united in their decision to reject Magu because of what they described as the unfair manner in which the anti-corruption war is being executed under him.
The decision to rely on the security report, it was further learnt, was taken after the opposition to Magu’s confirmation.
A Kanuri from Borno State who attended the University of Maiduguri, Magu is a trained financial crimes investigator with a background in forensic accounting. He also trained at the FBI Institute and the London Metropolitan Police Institute.
Magu served as head of the EFCC’s Economic Governance Unit (EGU) during the tenure of Nuhu Ribadu.
He thereafter gained public attention when he led many high-profile investigations against former governors, including James Ibori of Delta State and the current Senate President as governor of Kwara State.
He also reportedly worked with Ribadu to jail his brother-in-law and former Bank of the North chief, Shettima Bulama who was later pardoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Magu is a member of the investigative committee convened by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno on the orders of President Buhari to probe the procurement of arms in the Armed Forces from 2007. He was one of the early recruits into the EFCC by Ribadu, the pioneer chairman of the commission.
