New EFCC Chair: Are Southerners Incapable? Fani-Kayode Asks Buhari, Accuses

In a two paragraph press release signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, the President explained that Mr Ibrahim Mustapha Magu would replace Lamorde in Acting capacity.

President Muhammadu Buhari has relieved the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, of his position.

No reason has been given for Lamorde’s sack.

But he was relieved of his duties along with other key officials by Farida Waziri when she became chairman of the commission in 2008.

Redeployed to the police after days of detention with nothing incriminating found against him, Magu was later suspended from the force, without salaries for several months. Both men had worked together at the commission when Mr. Lamorde served as head of operations of the agency.

It should be noteworthy that since its inception in 2003, the EFCC has been headed by only northerners – Nuhu Ribadu (Adamawa), Farida Waziri (Benue), Ibrahim Lamorde (Adamawa) and now Magu (Borno).

But when the police boss was to confirm the deployment of the officers, Mr. Magu’s name was conspicuously absent.

At that time, Mr Lamorde described the charges as a smear campaign.

A few of his traducers also said throughout his term in office, he pandered to the body language of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, who was also accused of indifference in the face of wanton plundering of the nation’s resources.