However, it was gathered that Presidency began having cold feet following public outcry and the “defiance” of PSC which may create the impression that Magu was being rewarded despite the damning report by a presidential panel on him.
Pointblanknews.com’s incontrovertible source revealed that “I am sure it’s the high level corruption of the IGP and Misliu smith who is the head of police service commission that connived to do it after collecting huge sums of money from Magu who has amassed so much funds after stealing from EFCC and attendant corrupt practices.
The source added that: “So apparently the police service commission after collecting bribes pushed for Magu’s promotion. After the President heard about the deal, and coupled with pressures after the news was leaked, he changed his mind”.
Magu, who was promoted to commissioner of police in 2018, had been recommended for removal as EFCC boss by the Justice Ayo Salami panel, which also asked that he be prosecuted over allegations of abuse of office.
The panel had specifically recommended that Magu be removed “for failing to properly account for N431,000,000.00 security votes/information fund released to the office of the Executive Chairman of EFCC between November 2015 and May 2020”.
He was also accused of causing “disappearance of evidence, stoppage and suppression of cases under investigation and prosecution, and omitting to arrest suspects” in cases involving a former deputy senate president and a former MD of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC).
The panel recommended that Magu should be referred to the inspector-general of police for “necessary disciplinary action”.
Since the panel submitted the report in November 2020, only a few of the recommendations have been implemented.
In his stead, a new chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was appointed in February 2021 while several police officers were recalled to the headquarters.