TheCable

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, has accused Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of running a “cult” in the agency.

Following a memo by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), in which Magu was accused of grave misconduct, the anti-graft chairman was arrested and detained on Monday.

He appeared before a panel led by Ayo Salami, retired president of the court of appeal, which is probing the allegations against him.

On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended him as acting chairman of the EFCC.

Reacting to the development, Sani on his Facebook page, accused Magu of backing cruel officers who operate with impunity and report exclusively to him.

“Contrary to the facade you see from the outside, the EFCC has been run by an inside cult called “the Magu Boys” or “the Chairman Squad,” he said.

“They are a select cream of vicious and cruel officers who operate exclusively and with impunity and only report directly to their boss. The inside cult is the dark and immoral aspect of the agency engaged in persecution, blackmail, frame ups and cruelty.

“The cult has been the wheel behind the ordeal of their embattled Boss. Until they are rooted out from the agency also, I believe a lot of revelations will be coming out from other marginalized and honest officers in the so called anti-corruption agency.”

Efforts to reach the EFCC for reaction to Sani’s allegations proved abortive

Sani is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a two-count charge of bribery.

He was arrested and detained by the commission for 30 days before he was eventually arraigned and granted bail by a federal high court.

According to the charges, the former senator allegedly collected $15,000 from one Sani Dauda under false pretence on November 20, 2019, promising to give Ibrahim Muhammad, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), in order to influence some pending cases in court.

He also allegedly collected $10,000 from Dauda to bribe Magu.