EFCC Is Too Focused To Be Distracted – Magu

…Vows to stop looters stealing from the country

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has declared the agency is too focused to be distracted, stressing that no amount of blackmail and mischief will deter him from stopping looters, who have been stealing from the country.

Magu also assured of his dedication and commitment to the anti-corruption fight, stressing that the EFCC has a lot of results to show for its  efforts, adding that the results will keep getting better as the commission is on course.

Magu stated this on Thursday, June 25, 2020 when he received in audience, a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council led by its Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche at the Corporate Headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja.

The EFCC Boss noted that the prospects of Nigeria are great thus must not be allowed to be wasted or stolen by corrupt elements without resistance.

Magu further said; “Nigeria is our common wealth. This wealth must be protected at all times and all hands must be on deck to stop looters of our wealth.

“Those stealing, embezzling, hiding and carrying our wealth away are not our friends. We must stop them. We must stop looters. We must stop the industry of corruption by all means and we shall surely stop them.”

Commenting on the numerous distraction thrown at the fight against corruption, Magu said that fighting corruption is not a tea party, adding that more than ever before, fraudsters are devising new techniques and strategies every day to beat established rules and systems. 

In his words; “Besides, several fight-back ploys are also being fashioned to distract and discourage genuine fighters of corrupt practices. For us, all these strategies are all too-known. We are familiar with the desperation of fraudsters. We are familiar with their blackmail and campaign of calumny but we will not give up. We will continue to expose and bring corrupt elements to book. We will never give up!”

The EFCC boss charged Nigerians to rise up and make corrupt practices less attractive, saying; “We must fight to make corruption unattractive”.

Magu thanked the media for its unwavering support, describing it as the most important partner in the fight against corruption.

In his words: “The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has always been a formidable voice and development – focused organization in Nigeria. As the fourth estate of the realm, the Press is a pillar in our democracy”.

He tasked the media to rise up more than ever before to the task of fighting corruption, refuse to celebrate ill-gotten wealth and publicly own the anti-corruption fight.

Earlier, Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, said the Union officials were on the visit to Magu for his steadfastness and determination in the anti-corruption fight despite distractions.

Ogbeche assured the EFCC of the continued cooperation of the Council members as partners in the war against corruption and therefore called on the EFCC to continue its crack down on fraudsters just as it tasked the anti-corruption agency to track the management of funds being deployed in the fight against Coronavirus. 

Other management staff of the EFCC that received the NUJ delegation include the Director of Organizational Support, Dr Aminu Gusau, Director of Operations, Umar Mohammed Abba; Acting Director of Public Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Larai Musa; Special Assistant to the Chairman on Media & Publicity, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and Head of Media & Publicity and Spokesperson of the Commission, Dele Oyewale, amongst others.