TheCable

Fatima Hassan and Victor Giwa, lawyers testifying in the ongoing probe of Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are currently being detained by the anti-graft agency.

A panel source told TheCable that on Wednesday, security operatives whisked the lawyers away from the presidential villa, where the Ayo Salami committee has been sitting.

The source said the duo who are currently seeking bail have made statements on a N75 million bribery allegation levelled against some EFCC operatives known as “Magu boys”.

One Donatus Wokoma, a businessman, had accused “Magu boys” of attempting to extort him of N75 million through Giwa, his former lawyer, but Giwa said he was procured to nail Magu.

Hassan is also said to have denied involvement in the “N75 million bribery” deal. 

According to Wahab Shittu, Magu’s lawyer, the money Hassan demanded was her legal fees and commission to assist Wokoma in unfreezing N250m with the EFCC. 

“What happens is this; a suspect who was being investigated by the EFCC had his account frozen by EFCC and was making attempts and he got a court verdict ordering EFCC to release the account. He was desperate to get the money released and contacted Victor Giwa, his lawyer,” Shittu told TheCable. 

“Now, the lawyer contacted this Fatima Hassan who said she’s going to assist them in getting the account unblocked. And she was going to use her contacts within the federal ministry of justice to direct EFCC to free the account.”

Magu was arrested and detained on July 6, 2020, following summons by the presidential panel.

His travails had followed a memo by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, who accused him of “grave malfeasance.” 

He has denied all the allegations levelled against him.