Ministries, Government Agencies Benefited From Recovered Assets -Magu

The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has claimed that some of the forfeited assets recovered by the agency, were auctioned to ministries and government agencies.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, had accused Magu of failing to account for recovered loot and assets.

Malami alleged that Magu sold some of the recovered assets to his associates.

But in a letter addressed to the Ayo Salami-led presidential panel probing the allegations, Magu explained how some of the assets were sold off.

He listed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), as part of agencies that got recovered vehicles through special auction with presidential approval.

Magu noted that about 450 forfeited vehicles are yet to be sold, although they have presidential approval to be disposed off.

He said some of these agencies have not paid for the vehicles, but that there was an agreement for their values will be deducted from the ministries’ allocation.

“On allocation of vehicles to some government agencies through special auction with presidential approval. The beneficiary agencies are: the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of which the valued price is to be debited from their allocation; State House, National Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons; Federal Inland Revenue Service and National Directorate of Employment.

“Real properties finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and allocated to some agencies for official use in line with the Presidential approval are: Voice of Nigeria, National Directorate of Employment, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, North East Development Commission and Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate.

“Properties under interim forfeiture order are rented by the following government agencies: Nigerian Army, Federal Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria,” Magu said.

Magu was arrested by officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) on July 6 and detained for 10 days before regaining his freedom.