Ibrahim Magu

ABUJA- The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate the genuineness of his war against corruption by allowing the unhindered investigation of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, currently being investigated for allegations of corruption.

The party said Nigerians are already aware that Magu has been pulled in for questioning, adding that the fact that he has to be accompanied by his lawyer, “shows that the said ‘invitation’, is beyond the routine.”

Magu was picked up on Monday by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS and taken to the Presidential Villa for questioning.

Reacting to the development in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP held that the development around the EFCC acting chairman “as well as the desperate attempt by the commission to cover or wave off his investigation, only raise more integrity questions regarding Magu’s activities in the EFCC.”

The statement further read: “Only last month, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Abubakar Malami, released a memo in which he indicted Magu of alleged diversion of recovered funds and fraudulent sale of assets seized by the EFCC.

“Our party, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are keenly monitoring the development and expect the Buhari-led Presidency to muster the courage to carry out a comprehensive investigation and make its findings available to the public.

“Now that Magu has been pulled in for investigation, the federal government should preserve the integrity of the office of the chairman of the EFCC by ordering him to step aside while investigators take charge of every activities of the office to forestall destruction of evidence as well as unnecessary interferences in the matter.

“Moreover, with the allegations and investigation, Magu has lost the moral rectitude to continue to preside over the anti-corruption agency. He should step aside until he proves himself innocent.”