AMINA HUSSAINI
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, the Citizens Voice Against Corruption (CIVAC), has called on the Federal Government to ensure a logical conclusion of the ongoing investigation of the suspended Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The coalition, in a statement on Wednesday, urged the government to provide the Justice Ayo Salami Panel, investigating the former EFCC boss, the necessary support and resources to conclude the investigation.
The coalition’s statement was signed by the Abdulrazaq Alkali, Organisation for Community Civic Engagement and Princewill Okori, Association for Public Policy Analysis.
In the statement titled “Campaign of Calumny and Media Blackmail aimed at Derailing Investigation by the Justice Ayo Salami Panel”, the civil society coalition accused Magu’s legal team of trying to derail the investigation through smear campaigns.
The statement reads in part, “These smear campaigns were first targeted towards the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, simply because he exposed the alleged corrupt practices and abuse of office by the suspended EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu, to the president and the investigation panel. As the detractors have been unsuccessful in tarnishing the image of the AGF using their spurious allegations, they have now turned in the direction of Justice Salami.
“The current smear campaigns and media blackmail using anti-Nigeria and anti- democracy media outlets quoting fake sitting allowances and emoluments against Justice Salami and the panel members are only aimed at derailing the ongoing investigation and the anti-corruption agenda of the President Buhari led government.”
CIVAC, which attested to the incorruptible nature of Justice Salami, expressed its support for the conclusion of the panel’s investigation.
“We wish to advise Nigerians to disregard the baseless allegations and campaign of calumny against Justice Salami and other panel members working hard to investigate these corrupt acts and abuse of office and ensure that the culprits are brought to justice.
“We also call on the authorities to ensure the security of Justice Salami and other panel members.
“We also call on the defendant’s team to seek redress in a court of justice if not pleased with the procedure or do not believe in the legality of the investigation panel,” the coalition said.
Comments are closed.