The embattling acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has requested bail from custody.
The EFCC Boss, who is under investigation by a presidential panel, has spent his fourth day at the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
He has been detained by the FCID since Monday when he appeared first before the panel.
Magu is being probed by the presidential panel for allegations of misconduct leveled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federal and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
The table turns on Thursday as 16 top officials of the EFCC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) appeared before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel sitting in Abuja.
Among those who appeared before the panel are Secretary to the EFCC, Mr. Ola Oloyede, Director of Operations Mr. Mohammed Umar and a former Director of Organizational Support – now a Commissioner of Police – Bolaji Salami.
According to a source, “The committee gave the EFCC chiefs one-week deadline to submit the list of cases investigated and prosecuted since 2015.
“I think the committee is interested in the status of each case. The sectional heads promised to meet up with the timeline.”
it is learned that Magu returned to the detention facility in the FCID at about 8pm.
Another report shows that the lawyers defending Magu made an oral submission for his bail.
They pleaded with the committee to interfere on the Inspector-General of Police to release Magu on bail because it is his fundamental right.
A source says, “At the sitting of the panel, Magu’s counsel applied for bail. Since the panel did not order his detention, it advised the lawyers to address their request to Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu.
“Although a member said the Chairman of the panel could act on the panel, however, said it is the IG’s responsibility.
Another lawyer argues that, “apart from being on the grounds of fundamental human rights, the application for bail was borne out of Magu being a senior police officer.
“Ordinarily, Magu ought to be detained at the Police Officers Mess pending the conclusion of investigation not behind the counters as the case is at the moment.
“On his first day in FCID custody, he slept on a chair throughout the night. He opted to stay in a cell but he was asked to sleep in an office. For safety reasons, he chose to sleep on a chair.”
“Magu is appearing before a fact-finding panel, there is no justification for detaining him,” his counsel said.
According to a member of the panel, Magu is being detained based on the directive.
Following the counsel’s submission, the committee, according to sources, asks Magu and his counsel to leave the hearing room for some minutes.
However, no decision is taken on the request for bail.
