The Justice Isa Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry is set to finish their investigation into the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The panel would likely conclude its assignment this week and would subsequently send its report to President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to reports, one of the recommendations of the commission is that the chairman of EFCC should no longer be a police officer and Nigeria Police Force operatives would no longer be deployed to the anti-graft agency; which presently has about 850 police officers.
The Salami Panel prefers the appointment of the EFCC chairman from other security agencies, which has seen only police officers in charge since the inception of the commission. If the recommendation(s) of the Salami Panel is approved, this would foreclose the recall of Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu.
Wahab Shittu, counsel to Ibrahim Magu, has faulted this recommendation of the panel stating that it was targeted at his client and unconstitutional.
Shittu said,” Our immediate reaction is one of shock that the panel could contemplate what is clearly outside its mandate for undisclosed reasons. Clearly, we are unable to understand how a Judicial Commission of Inquiry constituted by law will arrogate to itself powers outside its statutory mandate including taking over the functions of the National Assembly to amend the EFCC Act 2004.
“We wish to state with a high sense of responsibility that if the media report on the matter is true, it is dead on arrival as the appointment of the EFCC boss is clearly spelled out in section 2(1)(a)(i-ii) of the EFCC Act 2004.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said section states as follows – (1) The commission shall consist of the following members: (a) A chairman, who shall (i) Be the chief executive and accounting officer of the commission; (ii) Be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent.
“This is the position of the law guiding the operations of EFCC as of today until the National Assembly amends the act. This will appear to be what the Salami Panel is setting out to do contrary to the terms of reference of the commission.”
The suspended EFCC Acting Chairman was arrested on July 6, 2020, for alleged mismanagement and lack of transparency of recovered funds. He was also accused of amassing wealth illegally.
