Plot to sack EFCC boss, Magu thickens

While Ibrahim Magu and EFCC appear to have succeeded in ousting Onoghen, powerful hawks in the government who feel threatened by his rising influence in the system, have launched a renewed bid to edge him out of office before May 2019.

The anti-Magu movement, which comprises top government officials in the executive, National Assembly and some powerful outgoing governors with corruption cases standing against them, are of the feeling that allowing him to stay in office with Buhari in his second term, would make him ‘too powerful’ to control.

The forces arrayed against Magu are of the view that the senior police officer, who had escaped being removed many times, is likely to be confirmed as substantive EFCC chairman if allowed to remain in office given the clear fact that the All Progressives Congress, APC, now has majority in the National Assembly and with a possible friendly leadership.

The outgoing politically-exposed persons are said to be jittery that Magu was likely to go after them once they leave office next month and must therefore be stopped.

The anti-Magu forces are said to have decided to embark on a smear campaign that would make Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, who has been seen as his sustaining power, to abandon him and a new police officer, picked to continue with the anti-corruption war.

One of the allegations being used by the enemies of Magu is that he was not loyal to the Buhari administration and that he is working against the APC interest in 2023.

When we contacted the Special Adviser to Magu on Media and Publicity, Tony Amokeodo, he denied knowledge of the renewed plot to remove his boss.