The retirement benefits of a former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, May be withheld over pending cases of alleged graft and insubordination.
Magu will retire from the police on May 5, 2022, after attaining 60 years of age.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force as Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police on March 3, 1990.
He was promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police on April 18, 2018.
Media reports said the former anti-graft chief had forwarded his retirement notice to the police authorities in preparation for leaving the service.
The Police Service Commission (PSC), however. said Magu might not get his retirement benefits until he is cleared of allegations of graft and insubordination levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), according to The Punch report on Monday.
Mr. Austin Braimoh, commissioner representing the media at the PSC in an interview with the newspaper said the commission would not process Magu’s retirement benefits until the case against him had been resolved.
Magu was suspended on July 10, 2020, by President Muhammadu Buhari, over Malami’s allegations against him. He consequently appeared before a presidential panel headed by retired Justice Ayo Salami set up to probe him.
The Salami panel submitted a report to the President in November 2020, and allegedly indicted Magu and recommended his prosecution for corruption and abuse of abuse.
Braimoh said the commission was not aware of Magu’s retirement. The panel report has also not been presented to the commission.
Braimoh said, “The issue of Magu is not before the Police Service Commission that he has been indicted or cleared. He will forward the retirement papers to the commission if he is retiring. We have to inquire whether he has been cleared of the allegations against him.
“If he has not been cleared, we cannot process his retirement papers. Still, he would retire and be waiting until we get clearance from the office of the IGP. If he is not cleared, his retirement benefits cannot be processed, but he would retire.”
He cited the examples of two senior police officers whose benefits have not been paid for over two years since they retired from the service.
The commissioner added, “I don’t want to mention the names of two senior officers who retired over two years ago but their documents were not processed over one infringement or the other that has not been cleared. If the PSC does not process the retirement documents of any officer, he cannot enjoy his retirement benefits and he cannot be said to have retired.
“I’m not aware if the force secretary has sent his retirement papers to the commission. Unless his documents are sent to us, we cannot even engineer an inquiry to the IG. We can query the IG’s office to give us his documents, but if there is something before us.”
