The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) escalated its investigation yesterday into the purported illegal movement of large sums of money from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The scope of the probe now encompasses directors and other high-ranking officials within the ministry and its associated agencies.
The EFCC summoned these officials for a face-to-face meeting with the suspended Minister, Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Coordinator of the National Social Intervention Programme, Halima Shehu, and top bank officials.
These banks are currently under investigation for allegedly storing the vast amounts of money without the necessary reporting to authorities, violating financial reporting standards.
Reports indicate that the directors were called in to determine their involvement in the ongoing investigation, which has uncovered a deep-rooted collaboration between the banks and the ministry’s officials in transferring money exceeding the legal limit.
An official revealed last night, “The top directors spoke of the roles each of them played and did not play in the whole saga and were thereafter made to adopt their statement and were asked to go.”
The official added, “They were invited based on the fact that some of those interviewed earlier, mentioned some of them as having played one role or the other and we summoned them based on our determination to get all the facts and arrive at a decision that will be fair to all the parties.”
The officer made a strong statement, “But as the commission has made abundantly clear, we shall not leave anyone who has corruption on their hands to escape no matter how influential they may be.”
However, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, was absent at the EFCC on Wednesday to confront the directors. She is scheduled to meet them and others at a future date and time.
After enduring two days of continuous questioning, she requested a day off and promised to return on a later date, a request that the EFCC accepted.
In contrast, the current Minister, Betta Edu, who was suspended on Monday, presented herself before the EFCC investigators yesterday to address more queries.
Edu has denied any wrongdoing in the alleged transfer of an enormous sum of N585 million into a private account for distribution to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Ogun states. However, this claim is contested by the Accountant General of the Federation.
Due to this disagreement, Bola Tinubu suspended Edu on Monday morning and ordered her to report to the EFCC for questioning, a directive she complied with.