Buhari meets AGF, soon to decide SGF, Magu’s fate

President Muhammadu Buhari may decide the fate of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu in the coming days, Ripples Nigeria has learnt.

The President had on Friday met behind closed doors with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

While the details of the meeting, which lasted for about an hour inside the President’s office in Aso Villa, Abuja, was not made public, there are strong speculations, however, that it was not unconnected with the assignment he gave the AGF to probe his top two government officials, Lawal and Magu, who have been accused of corruption.

Recall that following the Nigerian Senate recommendation that Lawal should resign his position as SGF and prosecuted for alleged breaches involving public procurement, particularly contract awards by the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE) and Senate refusal to confirm Magu as EFCC chairman based on the Department of State Security (DSS) report on his alleged involvement in corruption, Buhari had on December 18, 2016, directed Malami to probe all government officials accused of fraud.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had in his announcement of the presidential directive, stated clearly that any of the government officials found guilty of the allegations levelled against them would face prosecution.

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The AGF had already queried Lawal and Magu on the allegations levelled against them, which goes to suggest that his meeting with the President on Friday may have been to submit his findings on the assignment he was asked to perform by the President.

Ripples Nigeria also learnt that the reason President Buhari may not have decided on the fate of the two top officials was because he has been waiting for the outcome of the probe by the AGF.

According to our source, the President who is likely in possession of the probe report at the moment following his meeting with Malami, will now summon Lawal and Magu to hear their defence, after which, he will decide their fate and make his position public.

The source revealed that in the coming days the President may summon the accused officials to hear from them and then decide on their fate.

President Buhari has continually been accused by his critics and the opposition party members of waging a one-sided corruption fight, always ignoring his All Progressives Congress (APC) party and executive members accused of corruption.

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