Politics
As Magu maintains defiance against House over Mrs Jonathan, Reps order his arrest
Following his refusal to honour repeated appearance invitations over a petition submitted against him by the wife of former president Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The committee said that Magu should be arrested and presented before it on November 7.
Mrs Jonathan who had some of her accounts frozen by some banks on the directive of the EFCC as part of a corruption investigation, had petitioned the House over the matter as the freeze lingered even after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered that all her bank accounts be unfrozen.
The former first lady had sent a petition to the House against the EFCC, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among others, alleging harassment from them.
At the continuation of its sitting on the petition, the committee, which had given Magu up to October 4 to appear before it, lamented that the EFCC chairman was showed utter disregard concerning the matter.
The panel, chaired by Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta , said it had sent several letters inviting the EFCC chairman to appear before it in order to provide clarification on the directive the commission gave some banks to freeze Mrs Jonathan’s accounts but to no avail.
Read also: GRAFT TRIAL: Buhari on revenge mission because of my role during campaign –Mrs Jonathan
Hon Kingsley Chinda who is one of the members of the committee, consequently moved that a bench warrant be issued against Magu to appear before the panel on the next adjourned date.
The motion was supported by all the members of the committee present at the sitting
Hon Nkem-Abonta then ruled that a bench warrant be issued against Magu.
In the meantime, the committee directed Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers to sit with the managements of Zenith Bank, Eco Bank, First Bank and Fidelity Bank to address the issue of the court order directing the banks to unfreeze her accounts.
Also, the committee cleared Union Bank saying it had fully complied with its earlier directive to unfreeze Mrs Jonathan’s accounts.
Recall that two weeks ago, the committee had directed all the affected banks to unfreeze Mrs Jonathan’s bank accounts that did not have any pending court orders to the contrary associated with them.
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Balarabe musa
October 5, 2017 at 7:27 am
What nonsense?! Are these reps foolish? Do they want to usurp power to cover corrupt act of Patience Jonathan, never, this must not happened, baba buhari must wade into this matter and put an end to this madness of the reps. Magu should remain dogmatic and even start investigating each rep member of corruption. He is an independent boss so no fear
Amarachi Okoye
October 5, 2017 at 8:05 am
I don’t think they are trying to cover patience Jonathan corruption but instead they are looking for something to destroy patience image just because her husband was once a president
JOHNSON PETER
October 5, 2017 at 11:21 am
Patience account must not be released, it’s not her money but stolen money and it’s crystal clear
Animashaun Ayodeji
October 5, 2017 at 11:49 am
But you have no justification that the all the monies in those accounts are not hers. Magu should safe himself from some troubles and leave Patience alone.
yanju omotodun
October 5, 2017 at 1:06 pm
Then is it the money she worked for? Don’t be deceived, she stole the money.
Abeni Adebisi
October 5, 2017 at 11:45 am
Ordering the arrest of EFCC chairman is a great insult on the anti-graft agency, Magu should not be arrested for performing his functions as chairman
Animashaun Ayodeji
October 5, 2017 at 11:47 am
From the onset, I knew Buhari brought Magu in to fast track his revenge, now we can see what he’s doing to Patience Jonathan, Magu has nothing to hold the woman for, but he won’t leave her alone
Anita Kingsley
October 5, 2017 at 12:05 pm
It appears Magu is on pay roll to bring down Patience Jonathan by all means because I don’t know why he’s so adamant on her case
yanju omotodun
October 5, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Are you sick, do you want Patience to go Scot free or how?
Oise Oikelomen
October 5, 2017 at 12:45 pm
A House Committee issued a bench warrant for arrest??? I’m quite confused here. When did they become the bench? Is it constitutional for them to do that? Why has the court whose order Magu is alleged to have ignored been silent? When did it become the function of the legislature to implement laws? Somebody who knows better should please enlighten me.
Oluwasegun Ojemuyiwa
October 5, 2017 at 2:18 pm
When the government fear the people,there is liberty but when the people fear the government, there is tyranny.personally a right thinking institution should be more concerned how Mrs Jonathan got all the moneys.Government however must submit to the rule of law.unless and until a court order is effectively appeared against and stayed ,it must be obeyed.if I am buhari,I will go all out against corruption even if that means waging war against the judiciary and the legislature. The moment this government find a perfect excuse to allow some people to retain their positions while being knowingly corrupts totally incapacitates the ability of the government to fight and win the corruption battle decisively. Now corruption is fighting back and gaining an upper hand. We warned buhari from the onset to be holistic in his war. He exempts Jonathan himself and begins to hound those connected with Jonathan. It is a fundamental error and the change he promised has not even commenced and yet he is over mid term.I weep profusely for Nigeria.