By Babatunde Odubanwo

It is only natural for one’s feet to trip for a fall when it lands on a wet ground. Even when the stamina can hold its own, a little shake-up is in order. At the end of the day, no one celebrates ’just trying’ but the finality of triumph. An old friend of mine once said jocularly: ‘’I don’t pay for efforts; I pay for the results’’. In the feat of courage, only the tough gets going in tough times.

When the media was recently awash with plethora of allegations against the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, many of the co-conspirators on the other side of the divide had thought that the anti-graft tsar would not go off their prepared noose this time. For them, the ‘The Hunter is now hunted, and his day of reckoning is done.’

Magu may have unknowingly shot the first salvo at the detractors’ camp, thanks to his enviable rich background in financial policing. As an expert in financial crimes investigation, an officer of justice, it was clear as the day that there was no hiding place for known malpractices. It was as though Magu had ridden on a roughshod by taking up the onerous task that must be done. His first entrance into advantageous spotlight came after he concluded high profile investigations against former governors.

His many episodes of travails started when in 2015, the presidency announced this recovery expert as the acting helmsman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the exit of Ibrahim Lamorde whom he (Magu) deputized until November 9, 2015. Tongues wagged, side talks lingered, and brows beaten hard at this Nigerian patriot. He diligently carried out his duty for couple of months before the then Acting President – Vice President Yemi Osibajo nominated him for the post in a letter to the Senate on July 22, 2016. Alas! Mr. Magu was denied confirmation as the new Head of the anti-graft commission by the Nigerian Senate.

Similarly, in January, President Muhammadu Buhari absolved the substantive Chairman of EFCC of any wrongdoing. The number one citizen asserted that Magu was worthy of his calling as the arrowhead of the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration. Unfortunately, the voting majority of the senate committee looked the other way. Notwithstanding, Magu took up the charge towards cleansing the body polity of unpatriotic sycophants. He wielded the sword of Damocles in trumping these cronies that has left the country in a lamentable state of economic tatters.

Before his appointment as the EFCC Chairman, he had been trained in the expertise of financial crimes investigation, and forensic accounting at the FBI institute and the London Metropolitan Police institute respectively. He was also seconded by the Nigerian Police Force to Bosnia under the United Nations peacekeeping police operation. Magu was in charge of EFCC’s Economic Governance Unit (EGU) during the tenure of Nuhu Ribadu, the first chairman of the commission.

It is on record that the EFCC under the chairmanship of Mr. Ibrahim Magu has recorded not less than 603 cases. For the first time in the history of the commission, more prominent Nigerians have been convicted of corruption charges of varying degrees. In view of the lofty achievements of this distinguished Nigerian, he was capped the Chairman of  Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa during its 8th Regional Conference held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Nigeria on 19th May 2018.

This charismatic crime fighter continues to be praised by the international community for his hard-fought battles against corruption and allied practices. Infact, several groups have praised his courage in bringing the thieving cronies of the state’s fund to book. One of such groups – The Nigeria Youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative (NYAGGI) honoured him with the Golden Role Model Award describing as an “icon of humanitarian services and role model to Nigerian youths”. According to Akeem Abiodun, the coordinator of NYAGGI, who extolled the virtues of the EFCC boss with respect to “his inspiring and enthralling track records, considered him worthy of the award.”

Despite the banana peels that lay in wait for his fall, Magu remains ever resolute on writing the country’s name in golden letters. While celebrating the undeniable achievements of Magu so far, it is important we all cultivate the habit of giving honour to whom it is due, with the view of encouraging others whenever such offers or opportunities for national duty comes our way.

IBRAHIM MAGU is a worthy living patriot.