The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has denied giving out properties retrieved from corrupt government officials to highly placed Nigerians including prominent Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN.
The Commission in a statement insisted that “Magu and the EFCC did not give out any property, being suspected proceeds of crime, to anybody,” and challenged Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who addressed a press conference on the issue to provide evidence of such or face the task of governing Ekiti State and “the challenge of accounting for his stewardship as his tenure hits the homestretch.”
Full text of the statement reads:
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, takes exception to the attempt by the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose to impugn the integrity of its Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, over the management of assets recovered from pension fraud suspects. The governor, who addressed the media today in Ado Ekiti, was quoted as saying that respected Lagos lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana “was one of many highly placed Nigerians who allegedly were compensated by the EFCC and Ibrahim Magu with properties retrieved from corrupt government officials.”
This is most irresponsible allegation, coming from a governor of a state. Will Fayose, in good conscience be able to name the “prominent Nigerians’, that the EFCC and Magu supposedly ‘dashed seized properties to curry their favours’?
The EFCC does not need to ingratiate discerning Nigerians to win their support. The Commission’s record and the uncommon commitment of Magu to the fight against corruption is the reason why patriots like Falana would openly identify with the Commission.
Magu and the EFCC did not give out any property, being suspected proceeds of crime, to anybody. The Commission never received any property from Abdulrasheed Maina and could not be compensating people with what does not exist. If Fayose has evidence to the contrary, he is at liberty to call another world press conference to expose all the prominent Nigerians.
Otherwise, he should face the task of governing Ekiti and the challenge of accounting for his stewardship as his tenure hits the homestretch.
