Court dismisses suits seeking Magu’s removal as EFCC acting chair

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed some
suits seeking the removal of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the Acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The plaintiffs had sought Magu’s removal on the grounds that the
Senate had twice rejected his appointment and refused to screen him
to take up the position in a substantive capacity.

They argued that Magu, who has been acting as the EFCC chairman
since 2015, having been rejected by the senate, was not fit to
continue to serve in that capacity.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu held that there was a
lacuna in the law by not providing for the timeframe within which a
person could act as EFCC’s chairman.

She noted that although the lacuna ought not to be exploited to
“install” Magu in office in substantive capacity without the Senate
confirmation, it had given the President as the appointor “the
proverbial yam and the knife to do as he pleases” with the
appointment of the EFCC chairman.

Details later.