Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Ibrahim Mustafa Magu has told Nigerians to expect the prosecution of
those who milked the nation’s treasury dry.
He said anyone found guilty will go to jail this year.
Magu, fondly called The General, said every stakeholder seemed to be more serious now about fighting corruption.
“From
all indications, the judges are more serious, everybody is cooperating
and this year, we will see more politically-exposed persons convicted.
We will flush out corrupt people,” he said.
Magu, who spoke during a
visit to The Nation Newspaper’s headquarters in Lagos yesterday, said he
was mobilising support, opinions, ideas and strategies that were
necessary to strengthen the anti-graft
battle.
“We need more support;
it is about Nigeria, not an individual, the fight is for everybody,
from the media we have to go to the grassroots, we will take it to
children in the schools; we have to tell the children that corruption is
bad, tell them why there is no chair in the classroom.
“We will
sensitise everybody on the evil of corruption. We need to let people
know that corruption is bad because some people don’t seem to know,”
Magu said.
“The impunity is too much. Sometimes I shed tears in the
morning before I go to the office. It is just unbelievable; the rot is
terrible. What I am saying is that people who know they have stolen our
commonwealth should bring it back.
“People arrogate things to
themselves. They have taken our money and are bold enough to say they
are not going to return it. The money belongs to the people; they should
return the money quietly; let there be voluntary compliance. Let them
voluntarily come out to say ‘this is what I have stolen’ and the
government will take it. I think that is the best thing to do,” the EFCC
chief added.
Magu commented on the handcuffing of Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) spokesperson Olisa Metuh when he appeared in court, saying,
there is nothing wrong in handcuffing an accused.
“It is not coming
from us (Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, brought Metuh to court), but
there is nothing wrong with that actually. They have a right to use
their discretion; you are not there, there must be reason. There are
instances when you handcuff a suspect, but let them explain themselves”,
he said.
Source: DailyPost.ng
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