The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that a total of N37,170,855,753.44 has been discovered as allegedly laundered funds within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs during the tenure of former minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
Details from the ongoing investigation, exclusively obtained by Sunday PUNCH, indicate that the money was transferred from the Federal Government’s accounts to 38 different bank accounts held in five legacy commercial banks associated with contractor James Okwete.
Upon receiving the funds, Okwete purportedly transferred N6,746,034,000.00 to Bureau De Change Operators, withdrew N540,000,000.00 in cash, used N288,348,600.00 to purchase luxury cars, and invested N2,195,115,000.00 in luxury houses in Abuja and Enugu State.
Okwete is allegedly connected to 53 companies, utilizing 47 of them to secure Federal Government contracts totaling N27,423,824,339.86. Moreover, he is associated with 143 bank accounts across 12 commercial banks, with 134 of these being corporate accounts linked to various companies.
Corporate Affairs Commission checks reveal that Okwete is a director in only 11 out of the 53 companies. The remaining 42 companies have accounts linked solely to his Bank Verification Number as a signatory.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, under minister Umar-Farouq, oversees eight agencies, including the National Social Investment Office, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internationally Displaced Persons.
Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq, appointed as the pioneer Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development in July 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had previously worked with Buhari during his time as the leader and presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change. Umar-Farouq served as the national treasurer of the party and later held the same position in the All Progressives Congress before her ministerial appointment in 2019.
The EFCC document revealed, “Between 2018 and 2023, the subject (Okwete) received the sum of N37,170,855,753.44 from the coffers of the Federal Government linked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
“The monies were sent to 38 bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks. The suspect transferred N6,746,034,000.00 to Bureau De Change Operators, N540,000,000.00 withdrawn in cash, N288,348,600.00 used to purchase cars, and used N2,195,115,000.00 to purchase choice properties within Abuja and Enugu State.
“Fifty-three companies were traced to the suspect. He used 47 of the companies to lift Federal Government contracts amounting to N27,423,824,339.86. Okwete is associated with 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks in which 134 of the 143 accounts are corporate accounts linked to different companies.”
In 2020, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) reported the discovery of N2.67bn allocated for the ministry’s school feeding program deposited in private bank accounts.
According to Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, the former Chairman of ICPC, the commission found N2.67bn in personal accounts, representing payments made to some federal colleges for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
ICPC’s investigations also uncovered 18 buildings, 12 business premises, and 25 plots of land. Owasanoye revealed that, during the Open Treasury Portal review conducted between January and August 15, 2020, 72 out of the 268 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies had cumulative infractions totaling N90m.
Owasanoye argued that the funds were disbursed when children were not attending school. Despite calls from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project for the former Minister, Umar-Farouq, to disclose the details and names of the suspects, this information was not made public.
Reacting to this, SERAP had written on its official Facebook page, “Following the disclosure by the ICPC that N2.67bn meant for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown ended up in private bank accounts, we’re calling on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria, Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to immediately publish details of those suspected to be responsible, or face legal action.
“If the names are not immediately published, we’ll issue a freedom of information request to ensure that those involved are named and shamed.
“We’ll also pursue appropriate legal actions to hold suspected perpetrators to account, in the public interest.
“Diverting funds meant to feed school children (who are already disproportionately affected by corruption), especially during COVID-19, is a blatant violation of the rights to education, health, and dignity, as well as the government’s own COVID-19 transparency frameworks.
“Corruption in school feeding increases distrust in the government. The Federal Government must ensure that transparency and accountability measures are fundamental to all school feeding and other initiatives in the context of COVID-19, to ensure the children receive the support they need.”
When contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, neither confirmed nor denied the story.
Oyewale simply said, “No comments on that.”
Reacting, a human rights lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, said, “If we want to be sincere, the corruption under the Buhari government was unprecedented. The main accused under Goodluck Jonathan’s government was Diezani Alison-Madueke, but under Buhari, many have cases to answer. Nigerians deserve to know what happened in the aviation sector, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, and other sectors. I call on President Bola Tinubu to probe that administration so that Nigerians can know who is corrupt and for justice to be served.”
On his part, Chairman, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, Ezenwa Nwagwu, urged Tinubu to probe all previous administrations.
“Buhari’s government should be probed, and not just his government, but all previous governments and past heads of MDAs, and all those who are found wanting should be brought to justice,” Nwagwu noted.
Similarly, the Counsellor of a Civil Society Organisation, International Social Justice and Human Rights, Jackson Omenazu, said, “It is exceptionally important to probe the Buhari government, but Tinubu is morally incapacitated to probe Buhari’s government because he is an integral part of the APC government.
“Tinubu cannot exonerate himself from the maladministration of Buhari. (Godwin) Emefiele (former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria) is just a victim of circumstances. The only crime he committed was because he raised his head gullibly and showed interest in being President.”
Another lawyer and public affairs commentator, Jiti Ogunye, said that it was desirable for the present administration to probe the preceding administration following the Air Nigeria and CBN scandals, but regretted that the law did not make provisions for that.
Ogunye noted that the law only allowed the incumbent administration to probe individuals who were engaged in corrupt practices under the previous administration, including the President, to establish facts.
He stated, “When Nigerians are fascinated with the idea of a holistic and comprehensive probe of a past administration by the succeeding administration, the law does not grant an administration that blanket powers to probe the past administration in the way Nigerians imagine.
“We have anti-corruption agencies, which are the ICPC and EFCC. We have criminal laws, anti-corruption laws, and money laundering laws. Recently, we have had the Proceeds of Crime Act. The provision of these anti-corruption laws has no place for targeting an administration in totality like that, but if there are individuals, including a former president, who are suspected to have committed corruption crimes, guilty of corrupt practices, or suspected to have committed money laundering, if found guilty of all other crimes bordering on corrupt practices and abuse of power, these individuals may be investigated specifically.” #Minister