President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde.
He has been replaced by Ibrahim Magu, a top level official of the Economic and Governance Unit of the EFCC.
Lamorde took over as the chairman of the anti-graft agency on 23 November, 2011 after Chairman Farida Waziri was removed by the former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
Magu is remembered as a no-nonsense investigator of the commission at its inception.
He was removed along with several other key officials by Farida Waziri when she became chairman in 2008.
Lamorde is reportedly being investigated over alleged diversion of recoveries made from corrupt and fraudulent persons by the commission.
The same had also attracted the attention of the Senate, which also commenced investigations of allegations against Lamorde. He was summoned to appear before the Senate tomorrow over the alleged diversion, which amount is put at over N1trillion.
According to reports, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which is probing the EFCC boss had formally written an invitation letter, requesting him to appear tomorrow, Tuesday.
The Senate had in August commenced the probe of the EFCC boss following a petition written by one Mr. George Uboh alleging that Lamorde diverted the sum being stolen money recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun.
The EFCC boss, according to Uboh, diverted the funds when he was the agency’s Director of Operations between 2003 and 2007, and when he was acting Chairman of the commission in 2008.
Sources at the committee said the EFCC boss is likely to appear before the committee.
“You know he was supposed to appear last time but his representatives pleaded that he should be given three weeks and this has since elapsed, so we are expecting him now,” he said.
