The suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, who is being investigated over corruption allegations by a special presidential panel, has applied to the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to be released on bail.
Magu, who has been in detention since his arrest on Monday, requested to be granted bail through a letter sent on his behalf by one of his lawyers, Mr Oluwatosin Ojaomo, on Friday.
He has been appearing before the panel from the detention of police facilities in Abuja since his arrest.
His lawyer’s letter dated July 10 with the IGP office’s acknowledgement stamp bearing the same date, and obtained by newsmen on Friday, 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 added.
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 to l the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, Prof Itsay 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.
The suspended EFCC chairman has been appearing before the Justice Salami-led panel from the detention since his arrest.
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”.
Ojaomo stated that his client had denied all the allegations being investigated by the panel including the ones leveled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) “and has provided both documentary and oral evidence to clear the air on all the allegations”.
