The Judicial Commission of Enquiry Investigating the alleged financial impropriety and mismanagement of recovered assets levelled against the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has 45 days to submit its report.
This is contained in the document setting up the commission, which is titled, ‘Instrument Constituting a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the Investigation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the Ag. Chairman of the EFCC for Alleged Abuse of Office and Mismanagement of Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances from May 2015 to May 2020’.
Although President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter approving the judicial panel was written on July 3, 2020, its terms of reference and allegation against Magu were made available to him on Saturday, August 8.
The document read in part, “I hereby direct the judicial commission to submit its interim reports to me from time to time but the judicial commission shall, in any case, submit its final report not later than 45 days from the date of its first public sitting or within such extended period as may be authorised by me in writing.”
According to the document, Buhari directed the panel to audit the accounts of the EFCC from 2015 to 2020.
The panel is also to investigate allegations of personal enrichment, abuse of office, disobedience to court orders, and the alleged sale of recovered assets to cronies by Magu.
It is not certain, however, if the number of days already spent by the panel forms part of the 45-day deadline.
The panel, which according to the president’s letter, is to hold public hearings, has been sitting in private.
The 7-member panel has Justice Isa Ayo Salami (rtd) – North Central (Kwara) as the Chairman; DIG Anthony Ogbizi Michael (NPF)- South-South – Deputy Chairman and Barr Kazeem Attitebi – South-West – Secretary.
Others are: Muhammad Abubakar Babadoko (FMOJ)- North Central- Member; Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi (DSS) – North Central (Member); Muhammad Shamsuddeen (OAGF)- North West (Member) and Douglas Egweme (NFIU) – South-East (Member).
