The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, is demanding N5 billion naira compensation from the publisher of the Sun newspaper over a story he termed libelous.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the head media and publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, on Thursday, March 30, said Magu had written to the publishers of the story seeking the compensation for “libelous imputations and statements” made against him in a story published in the March 25, 2017 edition of the Saturday Sun. “The publication was captioned “Magu Under Fresh Probe over 2 Abuja Mansions,” Uwujaren said.
The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency noted that the legal counsel to Magu in the letter stated that the authors of the story – Fred Itua, James Ojo and Lawrene Enyoghasu, “wilfully and maliciously made false, destructive, and defamatory statements” against him. Uwujaren explained that the writers of the “offensive” report, had maliciously alleged that Magu owned “two mansions on different streets in highbrow Maitama area of Abuja” “This is a case which they could not substantiate, and which in fact was false, and nothing but the figments of their imaginations.
According to the statement, Magu further reiterated that “neither he nor his wife owns any property in Maitama. The EFCC spokesperson noted that in addition to the demand for N5 billion compensation, Magu has charged the publishers to issue a public apology and immediate retraction in writing of the libelous statements”, within the next seven days.
”Failure of which, “legal remedies including monetary damages, injunctive reliefs, and an order that you pay necessary costs including solicitor’s fees for your defamation”, will be taken. It added that the publishers are also to provide “written assurance within seven days, that they would cease and desist from further defamation” of Magu’s name, integrity, and reputation.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com has reported that a former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chekwas Okorie, said the rift between the Nigerian Senate and the presidency is an indirect impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari. Okorie further claimed that the the Senate plans to ground the country without carrying out a direct impeachment against Buhari. Okorie noted that the Senate’s stand on Magu showed that they were seriously scared of the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency and would not give peace a chance until he is removed. He called the Senate a shame to the country.