Emerging report indicateS that the Presidency has concluded plans to sack the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, for not threading with caution, over the latest foreign cash seizure, which is said to be over N13 billion when converted, allegedly belonging to the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.
A Presidency source, on Saturday, told Post-Nigeria that some people within the corridors of powers are not happy with Magu, for not letting the Presidency know about the latest operation, before rushing to the media.
Recall, that the EFCC had on Wednesday, circulated photos and video footage of the cash hoard, which was recovered at Osborne Towers, at 16, Osborne road, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos, on Wednesday.
The hidden money, said to be in different currencies; $43,449,947; £27,800 and N23, 218,000, were hidden in safe cabinets inside one of the apartments in the building.
The source explained that most of those who had spoken about the issue were not happy with Magu, because he had put the Presidency in a difficult situation.
“It was silly of the EFCC to have rushed to the media. Now, it has put itself in trouble, because the money belongs to those we call BGP (Big Government People), in our own phraseology.”
“How do you now expect the issue to be handled? And you know with the anti-corruption posture of the government, President Muhammadu Buhari and his people will wash their hands off. And this will cause bad blood. Magu has really goofed this time”, he said.
However, in the midst of claims and counter-claims about the ownership of the building, as well as the funds found in it, a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, had alleged that the money belonged to Amaechi, the incumbent Minister of Transportation.
Though the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, NIA, had reportedly claimed ownership of the money, Fani-Kayode disagreed on his tweeter handle, saying that the “NIA does not keep cash in Minister’s flats”.
Asked whether the Presidency would sanction the leadership of the EFCC, he noted that the BGP are in a dilemma, as to the next line of action.
“Though they are not happy with Magu’s rush to the Press, there is nothing they can do to him now, because he is seen in public as fighting Mr. President’s war against the Senate.
“If they fire him, the Senate will win, and if they leave him, the BGP will not be happy with Buhari. It is a like matter between the devil and the deep blue sea, because some of the BGPs actually believe that Magu knew the owner, but deliberately wanted to rubbish them.
“These are some of the people that do not want him confirmed as the EFCC Chairman, and it is not unlikely that he is fighting back to expose them. Some of them believe that he knew and he purposely put the matter in public domain”, the source noted.