The immediate-past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Lamorde has described his removal as an act of God.
He made this disclosure in an 8-minute address to staff of the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, stating that it was inevitable for an office holder to vacate it for another sometime along the line.
Lamorde urged the staff of the agency to support the newly-appointed acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to achieve the agency’s mandate.
“It is historic to witness yet another handing over.
“I will be doing this for the second time because I did a similar one for a former chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, in 2008.
“I will be doing this to a friend and a colleague.
“Magu has been with the commission since 2003 and we all came back together in 2011,” he noted.
At the end of his address, visibly downcast staffers gave him a resounding round of applause.
Lamorde was removed from his post on November 9, with no explanation being given by the presidency for the decision.
However, reports say his removal may not be unconnected with allegations that he siphoned money recovered from corrupt government offices running into N1 trillion.
The National Assembly has indicated interest in probing the corruption allegations against the ex EFCC chair.