10th July, 2020
Suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has begged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to release him on bail.
Magu has not been released since he was arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, on Monday.
He is being investigated over corruption allegations by a special presidential panel.
Magu is said to have requested to be granted bail through a letter sent on his behalf by one of his lawyers, Mr Oluwatosin Ojaomo, on Friday.
His lawyer’s letter dated July 10 with the IGP office’s acknowledgement stamp bearing the same date, requested that Magu be granted bail “on self-recognisance.”
“Finally, if our application for bail on self-recognisance is not acceptable, we are ready to provide a credible surety that will ensure the availability of our client anytime he is needed for the purpose of this investigation,” the letter obtained by The Punch said.
The letter was copied to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and the Chairman of the Presidential Probe Panel on the activities of EFCC, Justice Ayo Salami (retd).
It was also copied the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Investigation, Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Garki Area 10, Abuja, where Magu is said to be detained.
His lawyer stated in his letter to the IGP that all the allegations were bailable, implying that his client was statutorily entitled to released on bail even when he is formally charged with offences arising from the allegations.
He also reminded the IGP of his “recent directives to all police formations in Nigeria not to detain any suspect for any offence which is bailable in nature due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world which Nigeria is not an exemption”.