N5bn Libel Suit: I wouldn’t buy houses in Maitama, Magu tells Court

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has told a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja that he has only one house in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Magu gave the testimony on Thursday while testifying in a suit he filed against the publishers of the Sun Newspaper.

He told Justice Doris Okuwobi that the publication alleging that two houses were traced to his wife by the Department of State Service (DSS) was false, stressing that he has only one house in the Karo area of Abuja.

The EFCC boss had sued the publishers of the newspaper for a series of publications which he described as libellous and claimed had damaged his character.

He claimed N5bn damages and demanded that the Sun Newspapers publishes an apology as well as retract the alleged libellous publications.

While responding to questions today from his counsel, Wahab Shittu, on the allegations of a story published in March entitled, ‘Magu Under Fresh Probe’, Magu said nobody has investigated him since he came to the EFCC.

He said, “I am not under any probe; the publication is totally false. Even if I have the money, I wouldn’t buy houses in Maitama. My wife is a civil servant. We only have one house sold to us in Karo, Abuja. The publication is completely untrue.”

“I want to tell you the damage it has done to me. It was not caused to me alone, it has gone down my lineage, the entire family, and it has done so much wrong. It has done so much damage. They said the houses are located in the Darrubbe and Missouri, Maitama and that they belong to my wife.”

“My wife Fatima Yakaka Magu is a civil servant and cannot afford to buy houses in Maitama. I am an international man and the publication has damaged my reputation. The name Magu does not only end with me. The publication caused a whole lot of trauma for my lineage,” he decried.

“They did not confirm the authenticity of the story, the publication about the properties did not give an address, that indicates that it is a hatched work. After the first publication, there were a lot of reactions so they went to my hometown to interview everybody that knows me just to do justice to the first publication.”

When asked what arm of government was supposed to confirm him as the chairman of the EFCC and how many times has he been rejected by the arm, Magu said the Senate was saddled with the responsibility of confirming him and that he had been rejected twice by the Senate.

He, however, said he was not worried that he was not confirmed as the chairman of the anti-graft agency.

After listening to the arguments in the court, Justice Okuwobi adjourned the matter till February 28, 2019, for further proceedings.