The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned 20 senior directors and officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation probe.
The move is part of investigations on the ministry and sequel to a list of recommendations presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to the EFCC on Tuesday.
“The EFCC is also probing some officials in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Some director-generals and civil servants; about 20 of them, are being interrogated. Some have been quizzed, and more are still coming for interrogation as the investigation continues,” a credible source said.
Another source further revealed that the probe had been widened to uncover various financial improprieties that might have been carried out since the ministry was created in 2019.
“The fraud that was carried out in the ministry is very massive. It spans several projects and programmes executed over the past years from the immediate past administration into the new administration,” the source revealed.
“Also, ex-minister Sadiya, Betta Edu, and Halima Shehu are not the only ones being quizzed. Several civil servants and ministry officials were involved too.”
The collaboration between the EFCC and the ICPC is expected to expose more financial misconduct and other mischief perpetrated by civil servants since the Buhari administration period.
Recall that the ICPC had intercepted and recovered N50 billion from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs between July and August 2023.
The money, which was about to be embezzled, was recovered by the ICPC and paid into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Some officials had attempted to transfer the N50 billion into private bank accounts but it was intercepted and recovered by the ICPC under its former Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye.
Sources said the ICPC also detailed the various roles played by several officials in the aborted move to divert the N50 billion belonging to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) and other infractions.
The report is expected to assist the EFCC in its investigation of the suspended humanitarian affairs minister, Betta Edu, ex-minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq, and Ms Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Programme, an agency under the humanitarian ministry.
Edu is being investigated for authorising the transfer of N585m into the private account of an accountant in the ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.
On the other hand, Sadiya Umar-Farouq who served as a minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is being investigated over alleged N37 billion money laundering.
Shehu on the other hand is under probe for allegedly moving N44 billion NSIP funds into some private and corporate accounts without presidential approval.
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