The scintillating anecdotes of Chairman, Board of Editors of ThisDay newspaper and former Presidential Spokesman, Segun Adeniyi about certain escapades of embattled former acting Chairman, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], Ibrahim Magu where the disgraced anti corruption Czar had invaded the private residence of the former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar in Minna, Niger State and putting a “No Debit Order” freezing the bank account of former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma resulting in Danjuma’s cheque issued in an aircraft purchase deal bouncing have been roundly denied by the two top Generals as false and grossly distorted figment.
Also denied is the suggestion that both Generals complained to President Buhari over the activities of then EFCC helmsman, Ibrahim Magu.
In a statement signed by his military assistant, Capt. J. Mfon, Nigeria’s last Military Head of State stated:
“The attention of His Excellency General A A A Abubakar has been drawn to reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) searched his house in Minna, Niger State, on the orders of its Acting Chairman, CP Ibrahim Magu, and HE feels the need to put the record straight: HIS HOUSE HAS NEVER BEEN SEARCHED BY EITHER EFCC OR ANY SECURITY AGENCY.
“However, sometime in 2017, operatives of the Commission from Kano zone came to Minna to search a house in Tunga. The team ended up at His Excellency’s Guest House in Minna and told the security officers on duty that they had instructions from their zonal head to search the property.
“The officers said since the numbering of houses in Tunga was haphazard, it must be a case of mistaken identity. When CP Magu was contacted, he said he was not aware of the operation. Thereafter, the EFCC team from Kano left. His Excellency’s understanding is that they realised they came to the wrong address. However, no search was conducted in the guest house.
“His Excellency as a rule does not comment on media publications directed at or concerning him. He has taken this step in view of the reactions these reports are generating. His Excellency felt the need to provide this important clarification due to the ongoing media frenzy insinuating His Excellency’s role in Magu’s issue.”
Adeniyi, a prolific columnist and hanger-on in Nigeria’s convoluted corridor of power appears to be unable to hold his line in the face of unequivocal refutation of the salacious falsehoods penned by Adeniyi to a wide readership in the wake of the precipitous, humiliating and shocking arrest of Magu by his traducers in the presidential conclave, led by his much disrespected boss and chief nemesis, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
Adeniyi’s flustered response and rationalisation that he has been misunderstood by his readers rather than admit expressly that he made up a false anecdote from disjointed hints or that he was sold a dummy which he neglected to investigate and weigh carefully might create another dent in the credibility of Adeniyi, which media analysts say suffered grievous damage in the dying days of the presidency of the late Umoru Musa Yar’Adua when Adeniyi was perceived to be part of a grand coverup to deceive the public about the terminal medical incapacity of then President, with Adeniyi spewing a lot of disinformation, misinformation and prevarication.
When approached to justify his latest gaffe, Adeniyi admitted that both General Abubakar and Mrs Daisy Danjuma spoke to Adeniyi that Adeniyi’s stories were untrue. Yet, the seasoned journalist, instead of retracing his steps and throwing in the towel to salvage some journalistic integrity, as no one is perfect on the news hunt, where every advantage gained in the quest to break the most exclusive story comes with the risk of publishing some duds and spoofs, found it expedient to pursue a sophistry along the line of “Yes, General Abdulsalami called me to explain that he had no problem with Magu and that the house in question was a guest house and it was by mistake. Mrs Daisy Danjuma also called me earlier in the day. She confirmed they recently purchased a plane to replace the old one but there was no EFCC problem with the Cheque which she said she signed. She said her husband did not complain about Magu.
“I think the problem is that some readers are interpreting my anecdote to mean that both Danjuma and Abdulsalami had anything to do with the travails of Magu. I made no such claim in my piece.”
It would be recalled that Segun Adeniyi in his column in the ThisDay newspaper of Thursday 9th July, 2020 had written what was then considered by teeming readers to be an exclusive and authoritative expose on the genesis of the Magu travails under the title, “Magu and the Abuja Power Game”.
Adeniyi made several claims including the Abubakar and Danjuma angles saying “whatever might have been the excesses of Magu, his current ordeal appears more the culmination of a sinister plot to exact vengeance than any attempt to promote the public good”.
Many on the villa news hunt, including State House watchers in Kaftanpost, have been quite sceptical of Adeniyi’s scoops as presented vividly and matter-of-factly in the now discredited article, essentially because these are the same corridor rumours circulating with no responsible source willing to vouch for them. Such a major event, if they truly happened as Adeniyi passed them off to be, would not ordinarily be orphans for long amongst Villa watchers without someone confirmed as a good source.
Well, it is a bad day in the newsroom and every news hunter must watch their steps, check their sources and sheath their pen till the litmus test of truth and credible attribution prove a story worthy of publication. Otherwise, we all become Trumpian purveyors of “fake news.”
