Acting EFCC chairman Magu escapes assassination after gunmen storm his house and kill police guard

ACTING Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman Ibrahim Magu escaped assassination yesterday after armed gunmen stormed his house in Abuja killing one of his police guards.

In what is the second such attack on Mr Magu's residence, the assassins came at night but he was not in but they exchanged fire with his guards, killing a policeman on duty.  Apparently, the gunmen stormed the farmhouse in Karshi in the Federal Capital Territory at about 10pm and exchanged fire with the policemen on duty, killing a police sergeant.

Seen as a threat to corrupt politicians, the last 10 months have been tough for Mr Magu because of his refusal to bow to pressure from some high-profile suspects and politically exposed persons.  Following recent threats, security was beefed up for him and his immediate family leading to the deployment of policemen to the uncompleted bungalow in Karshi.

Some suspected assassins have also been said to be prowling the family’s house in the Borno State capital Maiduguri, where Mr Magu has another house. This latest attack came barely 48 hours after Mr Magu said the anti-corruption war will be a do-or-die affair.

Mr Magu had said: “For those of us on this side, in the anti-corruption agencies of government, in the media and civil society, the dagger is drawn and I believe I am speaking the mind of everyone that we intend to neither retreat nor surrender in our noble intention to cure our country of the evils of corruption. For us as a country, the fight against corruption is a do or die affair and we have to win the battle or die trying."