Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
On what appear to be a subtle indictment of other security agencies, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC said on Monday that he is as baffled as other Nigerians on how the embattled former chairman of Pension Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina was able to sneak into the country despite being on the wanted list of the anti graft agency.
Magu spoke on breakfast programme of Channels Television, Sunrise on Monday.
“I am as baffled as you. I really don’t know what happened. But I know that he has been properly placed on the wanted list. So, he cannot sneak into this country without the law enforcement agencies. So, something is wrong somewhere. I think we need to look at that. It is just terrible,” Magu said in response to questions from one of the anchors of the programme on how Maina was able to sneak into the country.
The EFCC Chairman however said the agency has launched a manhunt for Maina: “He has already been declared a wanted person by Interpol and we are going to go to other countries and get assistance particularly in Dubai and US and UK. We are already on the manhunt seriously.”
Magu who said he was not in EFCC when investigation was conducted into Maina’s pension fraud began however promised that the anti graft agency will go after everybody indicted over the matter. He also advised the on the run pension chief to come out of hiding to reveal all those involved in the pension scam. “I advise Maina to come and reveal all those involved. We will go after everybody. Let him come out and expose them. The way the media can help us is to give us information to get him arrested. The
EFCC Chairman however assured that Maina will be arrested sooner or later wherever he may be hiding.
He also said the EFCC was not involved in providing protection for Maina: “We are not involved in protecting him. That make it difficult for us to get him arrested and mind you, he was promoted.