– A new official has reportedly been selected to head the EFCC following Ibrahim Magu’s suspension
– An unmanned EFCC official said Magu’s replacement is Bala Ciroma, the FCT Commissioner of Police.
– The source said the reported suspension of the acting chairman has not been officially communicated to the anti-graft commission
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma has replaced Ibrahim Magu as the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), FunmiNews has learnt.
Following the reported suspension of Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a new official has reportedly been selected to head the affairs of the anti-corruption agency.
Multiple sources are reporting that a temporary head has been picked to lead the EFCC as the acting head, Magu has been suspended.
A senior EFCC source, who does not want to be named, told the FunmiNews that Bala Ciroma, the FCT Commissioner of Police has been picked to oversee the affairs of the agency in place of Magu.
Recall that Magu was grilled for over six hours by a presidential panel led by the former President of the appeal court, Justice Ayo Salami, before he was detained at the FCID and finally suspended today, July 7.
Magu was accused of corruption, insubordination and abuse of office by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami
Bala Ciroma, prior to becoming FCT CP was described as a shrewd crack detective. He also served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) of the FCT Police Command.
Ciroma was also at a time the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Welfare) in the Finance and Administration Department at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
He is said to have demonstrated a penchant for diligence in the over 25 years he has been in the police. He was between 2012 and 2013, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, FCT Command, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters.
Ciroma also spent time between 2011 and 2012 as Assistant Commissioner of Police, CID, Kano State Command, and from 2004 to 2008; he was Head of Operations at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Meanwhile, amid the raging arguments over the suspension of Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC, a Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has mocked President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.
Falana said Magu’s probe has put a big question mark on the anti-graft agency. FunmiNews gathered that he disclosed this on Wednesday, July 8, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He said: “Even though Mr. Ibrahim Magu is presumed innocent of all the allegations levelled against him, it is an anti-climax for an anti-corruption czar to be linked to a miasma of corrupt practices.”
Speaking further, the legal practitioner said the federal government should not make the mistake of appointing someone, who he described as an outsider, to head the EFCC in acting capacity should Magu be suspended or found guilty of the allegations.
According to him, this is to ensure that the name of such nomination would easily be sent to the National Assembly for confirmation
Falana also called on the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the EFCC boss.
