- As Falana Denies Receiving N28m From Magu, Demands Retraction of NAN Publication
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former Aviation Minister and critic, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode has said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are the real targets of the ongoing probe of suspended Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The controversial ex-minister disclosed this in a tweet on Sunday evening.
Recall that Magu was arrested on Monday and whisked before a special presidential panel led by retired Justice Ayo Salami over allegations of corruption.
He has been in police detention ever since, and petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to demand bail on “self-recognisance” on Friday.
Reacting to the suspended anti-graft czar’s travails, Fani-Kayode claimed that Magu had been loyal to Osinbajo and Tinubu all along, and not to President Muhammadu Buhari that appointed him.
According to him, Magu’s removal was planned years ago to get the duo he allegedly “worked for and protected,” since his appointment.
Fani-Kayode wrote, “What is happening to Magu today was planned years ago.
“The real target is not Magu but those he worked for and protected for the last 4 years.
“He NEVER worked for Buhari. He worked for Tinubu & Osinbajo.
“When they finish crushing him they will move against his two godfather.”
Meanwhile, Human rights Lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), has denied receiving N28m from the embattled former acting Chairman of EFCC Magu.
Mr. Magu is being investigated by special Presidential panel on allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
An online medium had carried a report from a government owned News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which said Magu could not account for interest accrued on N550bn recovered between 2015 and 2020.
The report also said the Presidential panel discovered acts of corruption and money laundering against several EFCC officials including the embattled ex boss.
Mr. Falana through his counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, issued a pre-action letter stating that the newspaper retract the claim that he also received N28m from Ibrahim Magu as this notion was false.
Adeyinka demanded the retraction of the NAN story within 48 hours saying the article was damaging to his client who has devoted his entire life fighting for human rights as well as against corruption in high and low places.
The letter stated; “In the circumstance, my immediate instruction is to demand that you acknowledge your wrongdoing, expressly admit that what you imputed against my client was false, and apologise for your unprofessionalism and the damage you have caused to him.
“I do hope that you will, within the next 48 hours, comply with this gentlemanly request by publication on the front page of your newspaper. Failing compliance, my instruction is to issue a Writ in the tort of defamation in other to afford you an opportunity to prove what you imputed against his my client’s character.”
The letter stated further that the newspaper article implied that Magu passed N28m to Femi Falana through a Bureau De Change operator.
It said; “the publication is damning against my client because his entire career as a lawyer has been devoted to fighting human rights abuses and corruption in high and low place.”
