The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has yet to release the outcome of its investigations into the alleged fraudulent activities involving former Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, and Betta Edu.
Naijaonpoint reports that the probe, which was initiated 15 months ago, also includes the former coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, and contractor James Okwete.
According to Daily Trust, the EFCC confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have yet been filed against the individuals involved.
The investigation revolves around the alleged mismanagement of over ₦30 billion, with the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) reportedly recovering substantial sums from 50 bank accounts linked to the ministry during Edu and Umar-Farouk’s tenures.
The probe gained significant attention after a memo surfaced on social media, allegedly showing Edu instructing the then Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer ₦585 million into a private account.
The recipient, Oniyelu Bridget, was purportedly working as a Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups, though concerns have been raised about the legitimacy of the transaction.
Controversial Approvals And Public Outcry
Further controversy surrounded Edu after documents surfaced showing her approval of unusual expenses, such as airfares for travel to Kogi State, which does not have an airport. These revelations fueled public outcry and led to heightened scrutiny of her leadership.
As a result of these issues, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu on January 8, 2024. Just a week before Edu’s suspension, Halima Shehu, the former Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, was also suspended over allegations of financial mismanagement.
Shehu’s suspension followed claims made by Edu that billions of naira went missing under Shehu’s watch. Following this, Shehu was arrested and questioned by the EFCC in connection with the alleged movement of ₦44 billion from the NSIPA account to private and corporate accounts in December 2023. The investigation into Shehu’s actions has added to the complexity of the case.
Sadiya Umar-Farouk, who served as the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs before Edu, has also been interrogated by the EFCC over allegations involving the management of ₦37.1 billion in social intervention funds during her tenure.
In response to the allegations, President Tinubu established a panel led by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to conduct a thorough diagnostic review of the financial framework of the social investment programmes, with the aim of reforming the institutions and programmes involved.
These social investment programmes included the N-Power Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. Following Edu’s suspension, these programmes were put on hold.
Despite the ongoing investigation, sources within the EFCC told Daily Trust that no charges have been compiled against those under investigation. Shehu, who previously coordinated the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, has not been attending EFCC questioning as part of the bail conditions imposed on her in 2023.
One of the sources said, “The case is complicated. Not complicated per se, but tracking some financial fraud is a herculean task that must be done properly. You and I know that some top bankers were also involved and you know many of them have connections with top people in the country.”
Another source said the EFCC would get to the root of the matter, but needs more time “in order not to fail in the court like some previous cases.”
“You can’t just go to the court to prosecute a suspect if you don’t have evidence to hold on to; if not, the judge will just thrash your case,” the source stated.
The spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, told Daily Trust that investigations into the case were still ongoing, he, however, declined comment on when the investigations would be concluded.
“I will get back to you on that,” he said.
Last year, the EFCC, in its bulletin titled, ‘EFCC Alert’, had detailed some major arrests, prosecutions and recoveries it made
It revealed that it recovered ₦30 billion in the case involving Betta Edu, Sadiya and others.
It was stated in the document, authorised by the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, that the recovered N30 billion was in the Federal Government’s coffers.
The document had read, “Update on Betta Edu investigation. We have laws and regulations guiding our investigations. Nigerians will also know that they are already on suspension, and this is based on the investigations we have done, and President Bola Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption.
“Moreover, concerning this particular case, we have recovered over ₦30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.
“It takes time to conclude investigations; we started this matter less than six weeks ago. Some cases take years to investigate. There are so many angles to it, and we need to follow through with some of the discoveries that we have seen. Nigerians should give us time on this matter; we have professionals on this case, and they need to do things right. There are so many leads here and there.
“As it is now, we are investigating over 50 bank accounts that we have traced money into. That is no child’s play. That’s a big deal. Then you ask about my staff strength.”