Facts have emerged that the erstwhile sacked Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC), CP lbrahim Magu, was actually promoted to Assistant Inspector of Police after he retired from the police.
Even at retirement, Magu can still be prosecuted if indicted for any criminal offence.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this on Thursday at the 38th session of the State House briefing by the Presidential Media Team held at Villa.
“If eventually indicted by the probe panel chaired by Justice Ayo Salami (rtd), he can be prosecuted,” he said.
Persecondnews recalls that the Police Service Commission had recommended Magu for promotion, but some officials in Attorney-General’s Office had written that he could not be promoted until he was cleared of the allegations of fraud and corruption against him.
It was gathered that the immediate past IG-P Usman Baba, had recommended Magu for promotion.
Magu, who had been on suspension since July 2020 over allegations of corruption and insubordination was born on May 5, 1962 and enlisted into the Police Force on March 3, 1990.
Magu was also deployed to the EFCC in May 25, 2012.
Buhari had set up an investigative panel chaired by Salami to probe Magu in July 2020, following the accusations leveled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami.
The Salami’s panel upon conclusion of its assignment turned in its report in November of same year to the President, had recommended Magu’s removal as EFCC boss “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”.
On Magu’s elevation, Dingyadi said:”This is an issue that should have been addressed by the Police Service Commission, which has the responsibility to conduct promotions in the police.
“They are not here. And I am aware that the Police Service Commission is directly under the Presidency.
“So I cannot speak for them. But what I know is that Mr. Magu has already retired and that is what I can tell you now.
“The fact that he was promoted is a matter for the Police Commission to maybe throw more light on.
“I’m not aware of the position of government on the report you are talking about and I think it is still being under consideration.
“It doesn’t mean that when he retires, the laws will not catch up with him whenever he is found guilty.
“So, I think it’s not completely a finished business.”
On the corruption charges against detained DCP Abba Kyari, the minister commenting on the matter would be subjudice.
“You also wanted to know the latest on Abba Kyari, the issue of Abba Kyari, you all know where it is.
It’s a matter in court. So for me to talk about it, it amounts to subjudice.
“So please, let’s wait for the decision of the court on the matter and we will all be there to wish the court the best in whatever they see fit in the matter,” Dingyadi said.
On the unknown gunmen responsible for bloodlettings in the Southeast, he said: “Okay, the unknown gunmen, you want to know who they are? I want to tell you that they are unknown gunmen and they are also criminals.
“They are terrorists and we are dealing with them in the language they understand.”
Dingyadi said the Police have started deploying technology in the fight against crimes and criminalities in the country.
“Police authorities are striving hard to be civil in their operations but would deploy firearms where necessary in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
On community policing, Dingyadi said the programme had taken off with the training of 25,000 constabularies across the country.
“So, the programme is on course, and is in all the 36 states of the Federation, and these constabularies have been posted to their various communities.
“Like I said in my presentation, we are to do a lot of policing activities in those areas, and to add to the visibility of police in those communities.
“The responsibility of the communities in which these constabularies are being posted is to cooperate with this constabularies to ensure that they assist them in sharing intelligence in reporting cases that need to be reported.
“And to assist them in resolving issues that can be easily or locally resolved.
“So, the community policing programme is there for the communities to ensure that they collaborate with these constabularies to provide peace in their communities,” the minister said.
On psychiatric test for policemen to ascertain their psychological fitness, the minister said the officers and men were being made to undergo rigorous and extensive screening, including medical tests on prospective recruits, assuring that the best available were those engaged in the system.
Commenting on the demands of the #ENDSARS protesters of 2020, Dingyadi admitted that the protest was aimed at canvassing police welfare.
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