The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, told members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday that the leadership of the anti-graft agency did not tamper with recovered funds.
Magu’s predecessor, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had been relieved of his post amid allegations that he tampered with billions of naira and property recovered by the EFCC.
But Magu told the House Committee on Financial Crimes in Abuja that it was impossible for any official of the EFCC to tamper with the recovered funds.
Although, the lawmakers did not specifically mention Lamorde’s name, they asked Magu questions about speculation that the recovered funds were pilfered by some EFCC officials.
They also sought to know how much the anti-graft agency recovered this year since the figure for 2014 was N8bn.
Magu declined to give the figure for 2015, saying that it would take a long process to arrive at the accurate amount.
But, on the allegation that the recovered funds were being pilfered by officials of the anti-graft agency, he vehemently defended the EFCC and its officials.
Magu said, “The issue of recovery is a difficult one, it is impossible to come with up specific figures.
“This is because lots of money might be recovered from the zones and it may take a week or two before the information gets to us.
“I cannot come up with an estimate, it is unrealistic because you may come up with a figure now only to discover shortly after that an account is blocked that would be eventually forfeited to the Federal Government.
“It is not easy to tamper with exhibit; no trained detective will tamper with exhibit money or any exhibit for that matter because it is a serious issue.
“So, all this noise about missing N3.something billion (is not true), it doesn’t happen.
“It is not true sir, you will see, we are investigating it and you will end up seeing that it is impossible.
“I’m not defending anybody, but I’m telling you from the bottom of my heart, it is not easy to tamper with exhibits.
“By training, detectives and investigators all over the world are the same on procedures for exhibit.”
On the proposed autonomy for the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC, Magu said it was unnecessary because it would take away the core mandate of the EFCC.
The House committee is chaired by Mr. Kayode Oladele.
He had raised concerns over how people entrusted with public funds stole from the same money.
Oladele stated, “It is extremely saddening to discover the sheer magnitude of outright stealing allegedly perpetrated by those entrusted with securing lives and property of poor and powerless Nigerians, under the guise of fighting Boko Haram.
“While millions of the ordinary Nigerian victims of terrorism were left to their fate, a few elite, most of whom were not even victims of Boko Haram, unashamedly dipped their hands into the vaults to steal billions of dollars from our resources to satisfy their perverse cravings.
“This is nothing but a crime against humanity.
“The least we can pledge in honour of fallen and languishing fellow Nigerians is the total support of this committee to the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies.”
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