Salami Presidential Panel: Magu, Collect over N1bn Bribe from ex-Gov, 8 others on Trial

The Justice Ayo Salami Presidential Panel has established cases of graft to the tune of N1 billon against the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu,.

In its interim report to the Presidency, the panel alleged that Magu received over N1 billion as bribes from a former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, and through his launderers — Pastor Emmanuel Omale and a Bureau de Change operator, Ahmed Ibrahim Shanonoi, as well as some ndividuals and companies.

The Salami panel said Pastor Omale, through his church, also received N1.3 million from a company being investigated for alleged link to EFCC’s N1.5 billion money laundering case against a former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye. “Apartment Le Paradisi transferred one million three hundred and twenty thousand naira (N1,320,000.00) into Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry Eco Bank Account (3912014143), on 22/04/2014.

“The company had testified before the EFCC, in respect of a case involving the former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye who was then being investigated for laundering about one billion five hundred million naira (N1,500,000,000.00). “Former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, was alleged to have paid N30,744,000 to Ahmed Ibrahim Shanono Investment Ltd over his investigation for alleged looting of N6.3 billion while serving as governor of the state. “Senator Jonah David Jang transferred the sum of thirty million seven hundred and forty-four thousand naira (N30,744,000.00) into the UBA Account (1018895662) of Ahmed Ibrahim Shanono Investment Ltd, on 18th July 2016. Senator Jang, a former Governor of Plateau State is being investigated by EFCC for alleged looting of six billion three hundred million naira (N6.3bn) belonging to Plateau State Government,” it said.  

Remember that Magu is being investigated for corruption and insubordination by the panel inaugurated about two months ago. The interim report states: “Pastor Emmanuel Omale (who openly referred to the suspended Ag. Chairman as a member of his church and his spiritual son during proceedings before the Commission) and, a Bureau D’ Change (BDC) operator named Ahmed Ibrahim Shanono as conduits for bribery collection. “A careful assessment of some of Shanono’s over 150 bank accounts and that of Omale and his Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry Church revealed that various sums of money in both local and foreign currencies (dollar) were deposited by persons this Commission uncovered as being investigated by the EFCC.”

The identities of eight suspects that allegedly paid bribes to Magu through Pastor Omale and Shanono were also revealed. According to the Salami report, Shanono allegedly received N570,698,500 from China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited through the UBA bank account (1018895662) of his company, Ahmed Ibrahim Shanono Investment Ltd. “The transfers were in about 43 tranches between 5th December 2014 and 23rd June 2015. 

The China Zhonghao Coy is being investigated by the EFCC for abandoning a road contract awarded to the company by the Zamfara State Government between 2012 and 2019,” it states in part.

Also, another conduit, an aide to a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nathaniel Uyo, was alleged to have paid the sum of N10 million into an Ecobank account (3912014141) of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry on June 9, 2018. The former NDDC MD was then being investigated by the EFCC over an alleged attempt to bribe members of the Akwa Ibom State APC Appeal Committee in Abuja while Omale, also received N10 million from a Bureau de Change operator, 7×7 BDC Limited, through his Church’s Ecobank account. The BDC is being investigated by the EFCC for, “receiving over one billion six hundred million-naira (N1,600,000,000.00), part of the twenty-seven billion naira (N27,000,000,000.00) Insurance Premiums looted during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan”.

A N200 million bribe was paid to Magu through Shanono by a former Chairman of the Niger State Pilgrims’ Agency, Liman Kantigi, who was being investigated by the EFCC for allegedly misappropriating funds during his tenure at the agency. The report said Kantigi, through his company, Sadiq Air Travels, allegedly transferred N200 million into the Access Bank Account of Shanono’s company after the EFCC had traced N4 billion to two Guaranty Trust Bank accounts linked to Kantigi. “A government contractor, A.G Ferrero & CO, had also allegedly paid over N213 million to another company belonging to Shanono, Newtech Aluminium and Roofing Services Ltd. “A.G Ferrero & Co was a contractor to Jigawa State Government during the tenure of Sule Lamido between 2007 and 2013. Lamido was investigated by the EFCC during the period,” the report added.