Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has stated that the anti-graft agency recovered N30 billion in the case of Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Edu was suspended following the approval of N650 million into a private account. Following the development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched an inquiry into the claims and suspended her from office.
The EFCC summoned her for interrogation and detained her, but she was eventually released on bail. She also denied all misconduct.
Betta Edu's predecessor in office, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, was also being investigated for N37.1 billion fraud, as was Ms Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme, an agency under the humanitarian ministry, for alleged misappropriation of public funds.
Shehu was detained and questioned by the EFCC in connection with the transfer of N44 billion from the NSIPA account to several suspected private and business accounts within the last four days of December 2023.
However, in an interview with "EFCC Alert," an agency magazine, the EFCC boss stated that N30 billion had been recovered since the start of the investigation into the alleged fraud case involving the suspended minister.
He further stated that the recovered funds were already in the coffers of the Federal Government. He said the agency was investigating 50 bank accounts where stashed funds were traced.
“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”, he said.
