Sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that the list contains names of the popular ‘Magu boys’, a term used to categorise senior officials in the agency who are loyalists of the suspended chairman, Magu.
Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is compiling a list of some operatives of the agency loyal to the former chairman, Ibrahim Magu, for transfer from the agency or forced retirement.
Sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that the list contains names of the popular ‘Magu boys’, a term used to categorise senior officials in the agency who are loyalists of the suspended chairman, Magu.
The Magu boys handled high-profile corruption cases with records of success. They have also been accused of highhandedness and acting with impunity with no regard for the law.
Magu was suspended on July 7, 2020, by the presidency following allegations of gross misconduct as levelled by Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Magu was replaced with Bawa as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.
Following Magu’s suspension, about 20 EFCC operatives loyal to him were redeployed to weaken Magu’s influence in the commission.
Sources within the anti-corruption agency privy to the development revealed to SaharaReporters that Bawa is acting with the backing of Malami.
An operative of the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter and to also avoid being punished, disclosed that the list being compiled is to purge the EFCC of any link with Magu.
“Magu stepped on toes by refusing to do the bidding of the powers that be and they successfully removed him. We all know that Bawa is a corrupt and junior official who was only favoured to head EFCC.
“All the people who complained about the appointment of Bawa, most of them are Magu boys, and they are being victimised.
“To punish them, Bawa reshuffled the agency and moved those officers from the South to the North and brought his crews to Lagos (in the South) to replace them.
“Now, he is trying to retire those officers and they are not due for retirement,” the source said.
Another source who confirmed the forceful retirement plan for the EFCC operatives said many on the list are yet to reach the retirement years and are below the retirement age.
“It is true, Bawa is compiling the list of Magu Boys to remove from the EFCC. He is trying to retire them and most of them have not reached the retirement age.
“Some are 57 years old, some are 54 years old and they are not even spent up to 35 years in service. They would be retired compulsorily,” the source revealed.