A sharp division has broken out in the Senate over what to do with embattled Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

The division arose following claims on Monday that the Department of State Services (DSS) sent two reports to the Senate, which did not screen Magu but last Thursday “rejected” his nomination by President Muhammdu Buhari as substantive EFCC Chairman.

A report this morning by The Nation said that the DSS letter clearing Magu for consideration, dated October 3, 2016, was sent to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang.

Although the letter accused Magu of some infractions, it said the Senate could give Magu the benefit of the doubt, the report said.

It quoted DSS as saying in the letter: “Following the receipt if the aforementioned request, subject was thoroughly screened.

“Investigation revealed that Magu is currently occupying a residence rented for N40m at N20m per annum. This accommodation was not paid from the commission’s finances but by one Air Commodore (name withheld), a questionable businessman and an ally of the subject who has subsequently been arrested by the service.”

The DSS, according to the report, also said that its investigation revealed that Magu “parades a twin personality as an anti-corruption Czar and an ally of a corrupt man.”

But the letter, according to the report, recommended that Magu be considered for the office, saying: “In the light of the ongoing, Magu’s integrity may be in doubt.

Nonetheless, in view of his-achievements since assumption of office in acting capacity, it may be expedient to give him benefit of doubt and be considered.”

The Nation said that the two letters were sent to the Senate on the same date through the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori and Enang.

The two letters have sparked a big row in the Senate, with some senators collecting signatures to remove Senate Leader Ali Ndume, the report said.

It quoted a source as saying: “There is a cold war in the Senate because some Senators were not aware of the letter which recommended Magu’s consideration.

“The aggrieved senators also suspected some hidden agenda because only the letter which indicted Magu as unfit for the office was released to the public.

“Some anti-Magu senators were said to be unhappy with Ndume’s support for Magu which they consider not in tandem with the position of the Senate rejecting his nomination.

“A crisis of confidence has erupted and the anti-Magu senators last night were compiling the ‘sins’ of Ndume in order to pass a vote of no confidence on him by collecting impeachment signatures.

“But those sympathetic to Ndume said it will be impossible to remove the Senate Leader because he enjoys tremendous goodwill in the Senate.”

The report quoted another Senator as saying: “What else do they want Ndume to do? He is a Senator from Borno State and the man we are talking about is also from the state.

He cannot fold his arms.

“Some Senators don’t even know that Ndume is just being patriotic. Magu is from the majority Kanuri ethnic group. Ndume is from a minority ethnic group in the state.

“If Ndume wants to be selfish, he would just distance himself from the travails of anyone from the majority ethnic group.”

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