Coalition faults European groups for opposing Magu’s probe 

A coalition of 24 civil society organizations on Saturday described as biased and shameful, the position of three European groups on the probe of the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, for alleged corruption and misconduct.

The coalition in a statement issued by the duo of Ogalagu Amaechi and Hajia Zainab Mohammed in Abuja, accused the European groups of sponsoring spurious publications and blackmail against the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The coalition accused the groups and their Nigerian ally of doing a hatchet job.

The trio of Lucas Manes (ReCommon), Nicholas Hildyard (Corner House), Simon Taylor (Globalwitness) and Olanrewaju Suraju of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Nigeria, had in a statement faulted steps by the presidential panel headed by a former president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, in ascertaining the culpability of the suspended EFCC chairman in the allegations leveled against him by Malami.

The AGF had accused Magu of re-looting assets recovered by the commission from suspected treasury looters.

READ ALSO: Magu’s invitation, questioning were in his best interest —Presidency

He also chided the anti-graft czar for insubordination in one of his reports to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The suspended EFCC chairman was released from custody on Wednesday after he was quizzed by the presidential panel on the allegations.

The coalition said: “The so-called international anti-corruption group, according to our findings, were assembled by their Nigerian friends to do a hatchet job of blackmailing President Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

“These Nigerian friends who invited these ‘Oyibos’ are accomplices to the allegations leveled against Ibrahim Magu as their mission is very clear: to rubbish the creative initiatives of the Hon. Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, discharging his duties efficiently.

“Genuine anti-corruption fights are not selective and this is what the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari has demonstrated by allowing one of his chief security heads to be investigated.”

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