Osinbajo denies receiving N4bn from Magu, says report “false”
VP Osinbajo
By Anthony Ailemen
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has denied collecting the sum of N4bn from the embattled acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The vice president, while reacting to report by PointBlank News and Newsreel.com.ng published July 8, 2020 credited to one Jackson Ude, described the report as “totally false and baseless fabrications”.
Media aide to the vice president, Laolu Akande, in a statement said the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a series of tweets and online reports by PointBlank News and Newsreel.com.ng published July 8 credited to one Jackson Ude.
“In essence, Ude’s story is that ’embattled former chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), allegedly embezzled over N39 billion and gave Vice President Yemi Osinabjo (sic) N4 billion, after the VP gave instructions to him to release some of the recovered loots…’ The same Jackson Ude has also been circulating a video on YouTube with a female commentator, peddling the same lies,” Akande stated.
“With all emphasis at our disposal, let it be firmly stated that these are totally false and baseless fabrications, purporting to reflect goings-on at the Probe Panel investigating Mr. Ibrahim Magu. They are indeed completely absurd in every respect,” he said.
The media aide lamented that sadly, “such mindless, vicious and reckless publications have now become the preferred tool of unscrupulous and reprobate elements in our society who are procured with monetary inducement to peddle blatant falsehood, tarnish the image of upright public officials and mislead unsuspecting Nigerians”.
He said the vice president would, of course, not be distracted by these obvious campaigns of lies and calumny.
“The online publications, being criminally defamatory in nature, have been referred to the relevant law enforcement agencies for investigation and necessary action,” he said.
Jackson Ude, a United States-based Nigerian blogger, had published the claims which he said emanated from the current ongoing investigation of Ibrahim Magu. (BusinessDay)
