I remitted N329bn Into NNPC Accounts, Says Magu

The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, says he remitted N329bn from indebted oil marketers into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation accounts.

There were media reports that the presidential panel probing allegations of corruption against Magu raised the issue of alleged misappropriation of the NNPC funds.

In a statement on Sunday by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, Magu said the issue of the NNPC funds never featured at the panel, saying the funds were “remitted directly into NNPC dedicated accounts via REMITTA under a special arrangement endorsed by NNPC, EFCC and the affected NNPC’s indebted marketers.”

He said the remittance of the funds made the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd, a subsidiary of NNPC to write a letter of commendation to the EFCC dated August 17, 2017 with reference number PPMC/MD/254.

When contacted last night, the Group General Manager Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Kennie Obateru, told Daily Trust that he had no information on Magu’s claim.

President Muhammadu Buhari had constituted the Justice Salami-led panel to probe various allegations levelled against Magu, following petitions against him by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Department of State Service (DSS).

Malami’s memo allegedly accused Magu of diversion of recovered loot, insubordination, disobeying court orders, among others. The memo was said to contain 22 allegations against the embattled EFCC chairman.

However, Magu, through his counsel, Wahab Shittu, maintained his innocence, claiming that the allegations against him were fabricated and aimed at tarnishing his image and rubbish the credibility and image of EFCC.