Elendureports.com has pieced together events leading to CSP Magu’s detention. According to various sources at the EFCC and some close to Magu, this is what happened: On August 1, 2008, 10 plain clothes policemen and two mobile police officers went to Magu’s home in Karu, on the outskirts of Abuja. Magu, who was then stationed in Lagos did not know that he was in trouble with the law. The policemen who visited CSP Magu’s home took with them a welder and an iron cutter. According to eyewitnesses, they cordoned off Magu’s house and ransacked the entire house. They carted away papers. The police officers, we were informed, did not find any original documents in Magu’s house.  

According to sources, CSP Magu was called by a friend who is also a police officer and told that the police was looking for him. The next day, Saturday, August 2^nd, Magu arrived Abuja and saw his house in shambles. On Monday, August 4, Magu reported at the Force Criminal Intelligence Bureau (FCIB). At the FCIB he was kept for 24 hours without being told what his offence was.

Elendureports.com investigations revealed that part of the items confiscated from CSP Magu is a laptop computer which he had been using even before the formation of the EFCC. The laptop, a government property, contained outlines of investigations the police officer had been involved in.  

We were reliably informed that Magu’s travails may not be unconnected with fears expressed in certain quarters that the EFCC operative may have damaging information on some former governors and other top politicians in his possession. According to one source, “they think Magu has dossiers on some of these guys and they are afraid he may release them to nail some politicians.” 

Ibrahim Magu, as the Head of the Economic Governance Unit of the EFCC had offices in Lagos and Abuja. Although the Police hierarchy had requested that he return to the police, he was not informed of this decision through official channels. A police source told this reporter that the normal channel would be for the IG to inform the chairman of the EFCC that Magu had been reassigned. The EFCC chairman would be the person to “warn” Magu about his new posting. This was not done. As at the day Magu’s Karu home was searched, he was still a staff of the EFCC.  

An EFCC source said, “no documents that the CSP should not have was found in his possession. He was still a staff of the Commission and had very good reasons to be in possession of any papers found in his custody.” 

Being the Head of the Economic Governance Unit, part of Magu’s job was to initiate investigations into suspects’ activities and at a stage turn it over to a team whose main focus would be that particular investigation. Magu was generally seen as an honest policeman who did his job diligently.  

Ibrahim Magu is being charged with stealing official documents. An EFCC source told this reporter, “this is a case of calling a dog a bad name to hang it. Magu is going through the same experience as Ribadu and Lamorde. I can tell you that Ribadu and Lamorde are being tailed and only God knows how these will be resolved eventually.” 

There is the general belief within security circles that Ribadu, Lamorde and Magu are part of a greater scheme being orchestrated by some powerful politicians. As one source put it, “these guys are just pawns on a chess table. Like set pieces, they are being moved about and Nigerians don’t where this will lead to.” This reporter was informed by some knowledgeable source that former Delta State governor, James Onanefe Ibori had boasted about what is going on within EFCC now. “Everything the guy said would happen is right on target. Its like he wrote a script and somebody is acting it out,” the source said. 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it