Strong indications have emerged about how the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), tele guided the activities of the Justice Ayo Salami-led Judicial Commission of Enquiry over the investigation of the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu.
President Muhammadu Buhari had set up the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami- led Panel under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004).
The instrument setting up the panel further states that, “A Judicial Commission of Enquiry for the investigation of Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC for alleged abuse of office and mismanagement of Federal Government recovered assets and finances from May 2015 to May 2020.”
It is instructive to note that though the terms of reference was signed by President Buhari on July 3, 2020, the instrument was made available to Magu and his lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu, on Saturday, August 8, 2020 (35 days after).
Incidentally, the panel started sitting without the knowledge of Magu as he was arrested and ushered before the panel on Monday, July 6, 2020.
Multiple sources also disclosed that the AGF compiled the names of some of the members of the Panel and was regularly calling or sending memos to them on what to do.
The AGF was said to have compiled and instigated the suspension of top officials of the EFCC and claimed that the action was approved by the Presidency.
Some of these officials are career members of staff of the Commission who were neither queried nor invited to the proceedings for questioning before being suspended.
Malami also reportedly manipulated the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who was originally mandated by the President to coordinate the activities of the panel.
Reports also showed that Salami was high handed and bullied other members to the extent that a top- ranking member of the panel threatened to resign his membership .
It was further gathered that the detention of Magu has led to serious open confrontation between the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the panel with both sides refusing to accept responsibility for the illegal detention of Magu.
One disturbing aspect of the efforts of the Panel is that its final report was said to be written in the AGF office.
A prominent online medium, Saharareporters carried a report on the strange development and up till now, the online report was never denied by the Office of the AGF.
Some facts available to this Newspaper showed that members of the panel were not privy to the recommendations which were presented to the President at the instance of Malami, except Salami and Secretary of the panel.
When contacted , Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, did not respond to calls seeking his reaction to the allegation.
He also did not reply to the text messages at press time.
