In the last seven years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, some of his top appointees manning critical agencies have left office unceremoniously over various scandals.
These senior administration officials include a secretary to the government, finance minister, anti-graft agency boss, spy chief, and most recently head of the country’s treasury.
Three of the administration’s officials were fired over financial sleaze, misappropriation, fraud, among others, while two others were sacked for embarrassing administrative offenses such as forgery, insubordination, flouting of public service rules, among others.
AGF Ahmed Idris N80 billion fraud
Mr Idris was indefinitely suspended last week two days after he was arrested by the EFCC over a N80 billion fraud allegation.
The anti-graft agency said it arrested Mr Idris following verified intelligence that he allegedly “raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.”
The AGF is accused of fraud through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
He was accused of laundering the fund through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
Mr. Anamekwe Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, Director, Inspectorate at the OAGF, was appointed to oversee the activities at the office.
Babachir’s N544m grass cutting sleaze
Mr Babachir David Lawal was suspended as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on April 19 2017 by President Buhari over the N544 million grass cutting scandal. He was subsequently sacked on October 30, 2017.
In October 2016, a senate committee which investigated spending from the funds earmarked for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE), indicted Babachir and recommended his sack.
He has been arraigned with six others at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the EFCC over the grass cutting alleged fraud. He was appointed SGF August 27, 2015.
Kemi Adeosun’s NYSC certificate scandal
Ms Kemi Adeosun resigned as finance minister on September 14, 2018 in a written letter to President Buhari due to a scandal that she forged her NYSC exemption certificate. The UK-born accountant was not charged after her resignation. She recently came back to limelight after a judgement by a Federal High Court in Abuja that she did not need to have a NYSC certificate before she could serve as a minister in Nigeria.
Ibrahim Magu’s recovered loots scandal
Buhari appointed Ibrahim Magu as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 9, 2015. He was suspended from office on July 7, 2020 over alleged diversion of recovered funds and assets.
Though arrested, Magu was not charged before any court as recommended by the Justice Ayo Salami panel, which indicted him.
Buhari appointed Abdulrasheed Bawa as substantive EFCC boss on February 25, 2021.
Magu was recently promoted to Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police.
Lawal Daura’s National Assembly siege scandal
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo sacked the powerful Director-General of State Security Service (DSS) on August 7, 2021 after masked secret service operatives laid siege to the National Assembly complex preventing lawmakers and civil servants from gaining access into the building.
The siege was only lifted about an hour after Mr Daura’s sack and subsequent arrest.
He was investigated by a police panel and released but never charged.
President Buhari was in London when the spy chief was fired.
