REVEALED: Why Buhari Removed Ibrahim Lamorde as EFCC Chairman

Yesterday,Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim
Lamorde was replaced with Ibrahim Magu
and  a statement by president Buhari’s
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi
Adesina, said,
“Mr. Magu, who is an Assistant Commissioner
of Police, is to take over from Mr. Ibrahim
Lamorde, who is proceeding on terminal leave
ahead of the formal expiration of his tenure in
February, next year,” .
According to the Nation , a Presidency source
says Lamorde’s exit was conveyed to him
early in the day but his exit was handled with
dignity by the President.A source, who spoke
in confidence said:
“The EFCC chairman has been removed
following some allegations against him and
security report.
“The Senate is looking into alleged
mismanagement of N1.3trillion recovered by
the anti-graft agency. The Presidency was
uncomfortable with some disclosures by the
petitioner, George Uboh.
“While the government does not want to
tamper with the ongoing probe by the Senate,
it believes it is untidy to allow the EFCC
chairman to be rubbished. It is better for
Lamorde to step aside.”
Another factor, which was said to have
accounted for the exit of Lamorde was a
security report on his alleged relationship with
some former officials of former President
Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
It was gathered that the Presidency was angry
that the EFCC did not take action on former
Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke until the National Crimes
Agency in the United Kingdom invited her for
questioning.
The government’s thinking, it was learnt, was
that there were sufficient grounds to prevent
Diezani from travelling to the UK.
It was also learnt that the EFCC bid its time in
managing the investigation of former Akwa
Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio when sister
agencies raised the alarm.
Akpabio led the PDP Caucus in the Senate to
defend Lamorde when the allegation of
N1.3trillion fraud was made.
The EFCC has battled in the last few months
to protect its image and that of Lamorde.
Uboh had in a petition to the Senate
Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public
Petition claimed that Lamorde and EFCC could
not account for over N1trillion.
But the EFCC said the cash and assets seized
from the two convicts were intact.
It said there was no diversion of either cash or
assets seized from a former Inspector-General
of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun and former
Bayelsa Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The commission said Balogun forfeited N2,
258,100,516.87 in 11 accounts, including
accruing interest.
It also said the N3, 128, 230, 294.83 realised
from the assets of Alamieyeseigha was
remitted to the Federal Government through
the Federal Ministry of Finance in favour of
Bayelsa State.
As part of the security report, a petition by a
lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong  to President
Muhammadu Buhari was also said to have
triggered Lamorde’s exit.
Ekpenyong said in part:
“It would be recalled that sequel to my
petitions against the former Governor
Akpabio’s administration dated 8th, 22nd
June and August 3rd respectively, the Senate
Minority leader was invited by the EFCC and
after his departure from the Commission he
bragged to his supporters that Lamorde was
under his control and nothing reasonable
would come out of his investigation.“ It was
against this background that I raised the
alarm, urging the Federal Government to sack
Lamorde since it was apparent that justice
would not be done to our petitions taking into
consideration the deliberate and unnecessary
delays at investigations and possible
prosecution.
There was also concern last night that
Lamorde’s running battle with a former acting
director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Unit(NFIU), Juliet Ibekaku, accounted for his
removal.
“The crisis of confidence between Lamorde and
Ibekaku was dirty. She made many documents
available to the Presidency, “ said an insider.