Monday Ubani, a former vice-president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says he prayed for God to disgrace Ibrahim Magu out of office for keeping him in detention for 23 days against a court order. Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2020.
He was alleged to have mishandled recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.
Ubani, who was counsel to Ngozi Olejeme, former chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), said Magu flouted court orders and embarked on media trial of suspects.
Ubani had stood as surety for Olejeme after the EFCC declared her desired in September 2017 over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public price range and money laundering” to the music of N69 billion.
But Olejeme jumped bail and travelled overseas, and the previous EFCC chairman allegedly ordered the detention of Ubani.
“About four years ago or thereabout, a lady by call Dr Mrs Ngozi Olejeme sought my felony representation over an allegation that she converted about N69 billion of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to herself whilst she held sway as the chairman throughout the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan,” Ubani stated.
“She opined that her scientific condition made it impossible for her to honour their previous invites, but she turned into organized to honour them if she may be assured truthful trial without illegal detention. My customer evidently turned into afraid, having been abreast of the antecedent of EFCC beneath Magu however I assured her that she will be able to get a honest trial as we were not under a Banana Republic.
“On the date we agreed, she returned from overseas and on the subsequent Monday morning I took her to the office of EFCC in Abuja. Her interrogation on the primary day lasted about 8 hours and then they instructed me civilly that they'll now not allow her to move domestic that day. Her detention that we all concept might be brief later entered the ninth day.
“On the date slated for the hearing of the utility, the court did not sit however the EFCC prosecuting suggest wrote and satisfied the then Acting Chairman to release the woman on administrative bail. We furnished two senior civil servants of grade stage 14 and 15 as sureties as required via their situation of bail and presented to them. When the software became supplied before Magu, he blatantly refused to approve, insisting that the sureties have to be ‘Elder Statesmen’, opposite to the bail condition. We had been questioning who those elder statesmen must be.
“The Unit head then quipped that the chairman will not thoughts if I will stand surety for her considering that I became the one that convinced her to return down for her case. My client heard him truly that my suretyship will provide her freedom to head domestic. At that factor I had a ethical burden to get her out of detention having been denied that opportunity after returning from abroad for 14 days.”
UBANI: MAGU PLAYED GOD
Ubani further mentioned that the EFCC below Magu “played God”. He alleged the fee changed into more interested in Olejeme forfeiting her properties while she had not been convicted of the allegations brought towards her.
“In route of the research, things occurred that startled me. One become that EFCC’s investigation became anchored most effective on one witness whose proof was mere rumour and uncorroborated. It turned into the witness’s words against the accused and secondly, EFCC changed into extra interested in the houses of the lady greater than the information of the case in order to stable her conviction,” the attorney said.
“Ibrahim Magu disobeyed the court order and stored me in detention for 23 days contrary to the order of the courtroom.
“I prayed two “dangerous” prayers whilst inside and outside of detention. Yes you heard me proper. One, is that so long as Ibrahim Magu has refused to look the wrong he has dedicated against me and several others and has no longer apologised inclusive of making peace, that God should disgrace him out of workplace.”
Ubani in addition referred to that he withdrew his suretyship of the former NSITF chairman on April sixteen
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