Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu has been a major player in the ongoing fight against corruption.

As the acting chairman of the nation’s leading anti-graft agency, Magu’s stand against corruption has been evident in the series of arrests of suspected corrupt individuals, which have been made in recent time.

Speaking to Vanguard Newspaper on Thursday, February 18, Magu explained the challenges faced by the EFCC in the fight against corruption as well his readiness to die for the cause of righteousness, if need be.

These are the 7 things to note from Magu’s interview.

1. Corrupt people don’t wish Nigerians well

The EFCC boss declared that corruption goes beyond just diverting public funds. He described it as an attack on every Nigerian because the culprits do not wish the country well.

“Corruption is an attack on our individual and corporate security. It is deliberate and calculated wickedness against our existence. Those stealing and abusing our common patrimony do not wish us well. They do not wish our health, education, security, convenience, prosperity and posterity well. They do not wish us well among the comity of civilized nations.”

2. There are bad eggs in the EFCC

Magu reveals that while the EFCC is fighting against corruption, in the words of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, ‘corruption is fighting back’. He further revealed that there are bad eggs in the agency who are also in the army of corruption that is fighting back.

“We are here (EFCC) due to divine intervention. I am here to tell you that there is impunity in the country, there is corruption and abuse of office. I am here to tell you that the fight against corruption is not about me, it is about the whole of Nigeria. We are all stakeholders in this business. I am here to tell you that corruption is fighting back. I need your support more than before because people steal our commonwealth and they hire lawyers to fight us. “I know that in every sphere of life, we have the good, the bad and the ugly.”

“I am not saying we don’t have bad ones among us in the EFCC. I have realized that people are fighting us both from within and outside. But we need to be committed to whatever we are doing; I am not saying that we are correct all the time. I am not averse to criticism. I always welcome criticisms; when you look back it will help the system. I am saying that people have money.”

“Now, we have a gang that is really fighting us. We have a gang of about 133 lawyers that are fighting back in the system. They are fighting everybody. If care is not taken, this fight will turn into a fight between the haves and have-nots, which is why I want everybody to support us. Most of these senior lawyers don’t care. If you don’t have money, they can’t take your brief.”

“They use the proceeds of corruption to do their business. Otherwise why should someone carry 34 SANs to court? What sense does it make? And then you discover that only one stands before the judge. They are going for the money. This story is real. If you don’t have money, they won’t work for you.”

3. He is ready to fight corruption to death

Seemingly a patriotic man who values righteousness over his life, which could be one of the reasons President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as EFCC boss, Magu reveals his readiness to die in his fight against corruption.

“What I am saying is that Nigerians should join us in the fight because corruption is fighting back. I don’t care, I am ready to fight to finish, because if there is any reason, it is an honour that when I die, people will say that Magu died fighting corruption. If there is any other cause that I prefer, I prefer to die fighting corruption.”

“That is why we are seeking for support so that we will be on the same page especially now that it is fighting back. We are fighting for a better Nigeria so that our children and grand children will have a better Nigeria because many of us were lucky when we were in the university. That opportunity does not exist again but we have a chance.”

4. Court decides what happens with recovered looted funds

Answering questions about what happens to the funds recovered by the EFCC from looters, he said: “Our own is to recover. The cases are in court. Sometimes it is the court rulings that will say what to do with the proceeds of the crime. So we follow strictly the dictates of the court order. Sometimes, the judge may decide and ask you to give the money back to the victim. It is not like we collect money and give it to any government.”

“It has to go through the process and at the end of the day, whatever the court says, is what we will do. The Tafa Balogun money was given to the Federal Government; there was a specific court order that (late DSP) Alamieyeseigha’s money should be given to the Bayelsa State Government. There is a committee on verification of recovered assets.”

5. The fight against corruption is not political

Magu further stated that the spate of arrests carried out by the EFCC has nothing to do with politics as the suspects were apprehended after proper investigations.

“All the people we are investigating were in public positions, there was looting. They have stolen public wealth. It is very real, nobody is faking anything. We don’t cook stories, there is evidence. If they are not involved, nobody will invite them. So it is not political, it is about Nigeria.”

“They use some big lawyers to frustrate the proceedings in the courts. EFCC does not start arresting when someone brings complain, we have to commence preliminary investigations. We might be working on a case for six months before we invite that person and confront him with the petition.”

“We conduct prolonged investigations before inviting anyone. We invited Alison Madueke’s husband, do you know how long we investigated him before inviting him? We want to be corrected and are willing to be supervised because this thing is about Nigeria.”

6. If things are done properly, Nigeria would not need oil money

He expressed confidence in President Buhari and opined that if everything goes as planned, the country would overcome its dependence on oil.

“If things can be done properly you will see the changes. These changes that the President is trying to do in the budget office, for instance, if things are properly done, I think we will not be talking about oil money. If we can recover this stolen wealth, we will do well. So, if things can be done properly there is no reason for Nigeria not to be good. That is why I have come to seek support not for me but for the nation. We do things with the fear of God, we do things within the rule of law.”

7. Nigerians will win in the end

In the fight between the Nigerian state and corruption, Magu believes that in the end, the people will emerge victorious.

“But first with the fear of God, national interest and the rule of law. I know we are all human beings, I am not claiming any perfection that is why I need the support of everybody to do this because it is a total war.

“If you can have a gang of 133 SANs trying to fight back, it is very clear that they are fighting back. Let us fight them to finish. In any case, at the end of the day, the people will win, we will take the day so that our children will laugh.”