The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in a statement confirmed that Magu was questioned by the panel, insisting that he was not arrested as earlier reported.
The statement read, “Magu honoured an invitation by a presidential panel reviewing the activities of the EFCC at the Banquet Hall wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“He was served the invitation to the panel, while on his way to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for a meeting.
“The EFCC’s boss was neither arrested nor forced to honour the invitation. A member of a legal team from the EFCC is also with him at the panel.”
Security operatives bar journalists
Security operatives however stopped State House correspondents from gaining access into the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja where Magu was questioned.
Reporters who made attempts to gain entrance into the facility inside the Presidential Villa at about 3.20pm were turned back.
One of the security operatives told the reporters that “They said you people should excuse the use of this place today.”
State House correspondents have a media gallery located inside the facility but were not allowed to access it.
Forces behind corruption more powerful than COVID-19 – Magu’s lawyer
Meanwhile, Magu’s lawyer, Mr. Oluwatoyin Ojaomo, has said the forces behind corruption in Nigeria are more powerful than Covid-19.
Ojaomo said this on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Monday while reacting to the investigation of Magu by the presidential panel.
The lawyer said his client was under probe because of the disparity in the figures of recoveries he announced publicly and the funds remitted to the government’s coffers.
He said the funds remitted were more than the monies declared.
Ojaomo said, “When you are fighting corruption, the forces behind corruption are so powerful; they are more powerful than COVID-19.
“You can imagine what is happening. Instead of Magu to be celebrated, those powerful corrupt persons who have the media backing them are trying to call a dog a bad name so they can hang it.”
The lawyer said asset recovery was a continuous process and as such there would always be discrepancies in figures.
Also speaking, activist Auwal Musa aka Rafsanjani, said Magu’s experience has again shown the need for a legal framework on asset recovery and management.
Magu has been occupying the office in an acting capacity since the National Assembly twice refused to confirm his nomination to head the anti-graft agency after the President sent his name to the federal lawmakers.
The eighth National Assembly under Dr Bukola Saraki refused to confirm him based on a security report by the DSS.
The secret police had accused Magu, a Commissioner of Police, of occupying a residence rented for N40m at N20m per annum, noting that the accommodation was paid for by a businessman, Air Comm. Umar Mohammed (retd.), who was subsequently arrested by the secret service.
The DSS investigation also indicated the acting EFCC chairman embarked on official and private trips in a private jet owned by Mohammed.
A whistleblower, George Uboh, had also accused the EFCC of looting over N1 trillion recovered loot.
Uboh in a video posted on social media accused the commission’s leadership of selling off properties of accused persons and diverting the proceeds into a private pocket.
