The suspended Minister, Betta Edu, is currently under investigation for allegedly instructing the payment of N585 million, intended for distribution to vulnerable Nigerians, into a private account.
Her predecessors, Sadiya Umar-Farouq and Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), are implicated in the suspicious movement of N44 billion from the ministry funds.
All three individuals are currently undergoing interrogation.
It has been revealed that EFCC detectives have obtained crucial documents for the investigation from some desk officials, aiding in the ongoing profiling of the 12 companies awarded over N3 billion for consultancy services by the ministry.
As part of inter-agency cooperation, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has submitted its preliminary findings to support EFCC’s investigation into the scam.
An official from the anti-graft agency stated that some bank CEOs were invited to ascertain their roles in the cash movement by ministry officials.
In addition to the 10 top officials, Dr. Edu and Halima Shehu faced another round of questioning yesterday, with Hajiya Umar-Farouq expected to undergo further interrogation today.
The source revealed, “The 10 top officials made several revelations about their roles in the alleged suspicious cash transactions. Some admitted to raising red flags, but their warnings were disregarded. A significant breakthrough in the investigation was the retrieval of documents indicating potential misdeeds in the ministry.”
Regarding the invitation of three bank CEOs on Tuesday, another official clarified, “We didn’t detain any of them. We invited them to assist in our investigation. The CEOs cooperated, and we will reach out to them if necessary.”
Jaiz Bank and Zenith Bank Clarifications
Jaiz Bank clarified its involvement, stating that its Managing Director, Haruna Musa, provided documents related to ministry accounts at the EFCC’s request but was neither arrested nor detained.
Zenith Bank also dismissed claims of its Group Managing Director, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, being detained by the EFCC, clarifying that he was among other bank managing directors invited for connection to an alleged fraud at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi called for a thorough probe and emphasized the need for comprehensive investigations to hold all culpable individuals accountable.
