Ibrahim Magu, EFCC Chair.
Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Kafarati to withdraw the case files involving him and EFCC from Justice Binta Nyako because of what he described as ‘likelihood of bias and conflict of interest’.
In a letter addressed to his lawyers, Y.K. Shittu & Co; Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators in Lagos, titled: ‘Authority to apply for re-assignment of all cases involving Ibrahim M. Magu pending before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako’, he said: “You have my instruction to make appropriate application for the re-assignment of all cases involving Mr. Ibrahim M. Magu, the Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, pending before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako”.
“The application is necessary to avoid bias and conflict of interest because the Commission is prosecuting the spouse and step-son of His Lordship, namely: Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd.) and Senator Abdulaziz Nyako respectively”.
Acting on behalf of Magu, his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, in a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to withdraw the matter from Justice Nyako said: “We act as solicitors to EFCC and Acting chairman, Ibrahim M. Magu on whose specific instructions we write to inform His Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court that we have been briefed by our clients (Magu and EFCC) to seek a transfer of all consolidated cases involving our clients pending before His Lordship, Hon. Justice Binta Nyako to another judge of the Federal High Court for reasons stated in our clients’ letter addressed to our firm dated July 30, 2018″.
The consolidated cases involving Magu and EFCC in Justice Nyako’s court are 11 in number which Shittu now pleads with the C.J. to be given to another judge for continuation of hearing.
According to him, this transfer is being requested not because of ill-will or disrespect of Justice Nyako’s esteemed office.
His words:”My Lord, (C.J.), we have no intention to malign or disparage the character of Hon. Justice Binta Nyako who our firm holds in high esteem”.
