For the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, it was time yesterday to give account of his stewardship.
Speaking before an audience of dignitaries, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland, Magu said the EFCC had recovered over N500billion from looters between November 2005 when he took office and now.
The President twice presented Magu’s name for confirmation. He was rejected by the Senate but the Presidency said he remained the best man for the job.
Magu spoke in Abuja during the inauguration of the N24-billion new headquarters of the anti-graft agency.
He said: “In 2018 alone, we have secured 89 convictions. Thus so far, we have secured 486 convictions from November 2015 till date. We have recovered funds in different currencies and, so far, we have recovered more than N500 billion.
“The recoveries meant for the Federal Government are duly remitted to its account while recoveries for individuals and private institutions are equally paid to them in accordance with the law.
“We are also making strides as it relates to the prosecution of high-profile cases. For instance, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was convicted in a case prosecuted by the EFCC.
“I, therefore, again, restate the commitment of the Commission to the fight against corruption.
“We do not go after innocent citizens, we go after those who have stolen and arrogated same to themselves, like President Buhari has said.”
Magu said the Federal Government had recovered and was still recovering trillions of naira stolen in the past few years by “people without conscience”.
On his part, President Buhari said his administration never engaged in witch-hunt in its anti-corruption war.
He urged Nigerians to change their ways of handling public trust and pleaded with the Judiciary to continue to collaborate with the Executive to bring corrupt people to book.
He also told the audience that he was ousted from office as a military leader in a palace coup in August 1985 for fighting corruption.
