EFCC: Pastor Emmanuel Omale Opens Up About Helping Magu Buy N573 Million Property In Dubai

Founder of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International in Abuja, Pastor Emmanuel Omale has finally reacted to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he helped the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, acquire a property in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

NAN had published a report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA), which probed assets recovered by the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020.

According to the report, Pastor Omala bought a landed property valued at N573 million in Dubai on behalf of Magu with laundered funds.

This was reportedly uncovered during an investigation on EFCC’s activities by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

Reacting to the allegation in a letter by his lawyer, Gordy Uche (SAN), Pastor Omale filed a lawsuit against the NAN, and described the report as malicious, derogatory and libellous.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to the extremely malicious, derogatory and libellous publication with the caption – “HOW MAGU USED ‘PASTOR’ TO LAUNDER RE-LOOTED FUNDS ABROAD – REPORT” by your Reporter, one Isamaila Chafe, posted on your website – www.nannews.ng on the 11th day of July 2020.

“We, however, wish to make the following clarifications to put the public records straight:

• That our client is the General Overseer of an Inter-denominational/Multi-religious Prayer Ministry, which Mr Ibrahim Magu attends.
• That our client, only visited Mr. Ibrahim Magu in a Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, sometime in March 2020.
• That our client never laundered any funds whatsoever for Mr. Ibrahim Magu, nor for anybody whatsoever.
• That our client does not own any foreign bank account anywhere in the world.
• That there are no funds whatsoever traceable from Mr. Ibrahim Magu to our client’s Bank accounts whatsoever neither has our client received any funds whatsoever from Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Our client has never received any funds whatsoever from anybody on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
• That our client does not own any property in Dubai. His name was never used to purchase any property whatsoever in Dubai, United Arab Emirate or anywhere else in any part of the world, neither has he purchased any property or properties for Mr. Ibrahim Magu in any part of the world whatsoever.

“We wish to state that by reason of the said libellous publication which was read by millions of persons all over the world, our client has been severely injured in his reputation, character and calling. Our client has thereby been brought into ridicule, public scandal, hatred, denigration, odium and contempt, and lowered in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society.

“We, therefore, demand the immediate retraction of the libellous publication by way of an unequivocal APOLOGY to our client prominently published in at least three (3) National Newspapers not later than 7 (seven) days from the date of your receipt of this letter and that you restrain from further defamation of our client forthwith otherwise, a libel suit against NAN will commence you, your Organization, claiming the sum of N1, 000,0000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as exemplary, aggravated, general damages for defamation, and for an injunction if you fail to comply.

“Further take notice that this letter constitutes our formal notice of intention to sue,” the letter read.

KanyiDaily had reported that Magu is detention since his arrest on Monday, July 6, 2020, where he is being probed by Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel over allegations of corruption, insurbodination and re-looting of recovered funds.