Ibrahim Magu, Chairman EFCC
Mr Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has alleged that some state governors are afraid of organising flamboyant parties because of the commission’s eagle eyes.
Magu, said on Monday during his working visit to the commission’s zonal office in Makurdi that some of the governors were now maintaining low profile.
He said that the development was due to the fact that whenever the governors contravened the law, EFCC would come after them, as they were always on the commission’s radar, both within and outside the country.
“EFCC is all eyes and ears; wherever and whenever they organise such ostentatious parties, they will be fished out and prosecuted, be it within or outside the country”.
The acting EFCC chairman stressed that the commission would not relent in its efforts at curbing their excesses, stressing that necessary strategic plans had been put in place and were expected to yield results in the fight against corruption.
According to Magu, even though corruption is deep rooted in the country, the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government is yielding results.
He said that the task of fighting corruption was very complex and sophisticated, as organised criminal gangs were daily devising new high-tech means of perpetrating fraud and other criminal activities.
Magu said that the agency, in its quest for success, was always ahead of the fraudsters and criminals in their activities.
He added that the commission had recorded tremendous achievements through its whistle blowing policy.
“Whistle blowing is working very well and we are paying. What delays the payments sometimes are the rudiments of the courts,” he said.
Magu further disclosed that the commission recovered millions of naira from members of the Eighth Benue State House of Assembly who were involved in strange car deals.
He said that the commission was still investigating some of the legislators.
The anti-graft boss, however, described corruption as a cankerworm that had eaten deep into the country’s fabric.
He appealed to journalists to join the fight against corruption in the country, using their investigative expertise.
Magu also added that EFCC had been intensifying efforts to clamp down on internet fraudsters, stressing that its joint operations with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation was yielding results.
He said the massive crackdown on internet fraudsters (popularly called Yahoo Yahoo boys) nationwide was still ongoing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that FBI and the EFCC had, at a joint press conference in September, announced that 167 people had been arrested in Nigeria and 74 in the U.S for internet fraud.
Some weeks after, the U.S. officials released a list of Nigerians suspected to be behind online scams.
The FBI’s “sweep” operation, along with EFCC, had since May focused on dismantling the cyber criminal enterprises. (NAN)
