The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has uncovered more fraudulent dealings involving Covid-19 funds, a World Bank loan, and recovered Abacha loot within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Over the weekend, the anti-graft agency also announced the recovery of N32 billion and $447,000.
The Explainer recalls that The investigation was initiated following allegations of a N650 million payment approved by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, into a private account.
President Bola Tinubu ordered the investigation and subsequently suspended Edu from office. Despite being detained and questioned by the EFCC, Edu has denied any wrongdoing.
The EFCC is also investigating Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, over an alleged N37.1 billion fraud. Additionally, Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIPA), an agency under the humanitarian affairs ministry, is under investigation for alleged financial misappropriation. Shehu was arrested and questioned by the EFCC in connection with the movement of N44 billion from the NSIPA account to suspicious private and corporate accounts in late December 2023.
The EFCC statement read: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has noticed the rising tide of commentaries, opinions, assumptions, and insinuations concerning its progressive investigations into the alleged financial misappropriation in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.”
The Commission responded that the investigations have so far yielded the recovery of N32.7 billion and $445,000. The agency said, “At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the humanitarian ministry were invited by the commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of N32.7 billion and $445,000 so far.”
The EFCC’s discreet investigations have uncovered other fraudulent dealings involving Covid-19 funds, the World Bank loan, and Abacha recovered loot released to the ministry by the federal government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.
The EFCC emphasized that its investigations are not about individuals but about a system and intricate web of fraudulent practices.
The statement signed by the spokesman of the commission, Dele Oyewale on Saturday, said, “Banks involved in the alleged fraud are being investigated. Managing Directors of the indicted banks have made useful statements to investigators digging into the infractions.”
The statement added that the EFCC has not cleared anyone allegedly involved in the fraud. On the issue of the Commission’s onslaught against abuse of the Naira, and dollarisation of the economy, the statement said the agency was going after those found culpable.
The agency said at the moment, the commission was investigating several celebrities involved in naira abuse. The EFCC stated, “Many of them have made useful statements to the commission and many more have been invited by investigators working on the matter. The EFCC will not relent in its no-sacred-cow mode of operations and the public should be wary of running afoul of laws against the crime.”
