NSIPA: EFCC Recovers N30bn, Probes 50 Bank Accounts

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said it has recovered N30 billion while it has also placed 50 bank accounts under investigation in the ongoing probe of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, former chief executive officer of the now suspended National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA), Halima Shehu and the immediate past minister of the ministry, Sadiya Umar Farouq, are all under investigation for alleged various financial crimes.

Both Edu and Shehu were suspended about three months ago by President Bola Tinubu to pave the way for a thorough investigation of the financial sleaze.

The president also suspended Social Investment Programme and, thereafter, asked the EFCC to take over the case and probe both embattled officials including anyone involved.

The chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, who made the revelations, said the anti-graft agency was making progress on the investigation in the March edition of the commission’s monthly e-magazine, EFCCAlert, and emphasised the magnitude of the case and the need for Nigerians to exercise patience.

Part of the article reads: „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 Ahmed Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption.

“Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 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.

There are cases that 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. And again, we have thousands of other cases that we are working on.

“Nigerians have seen the impact of what we have done so far, by way of some people being placed on suspension and by way of the recoveries that we have made. You have seen that the programme itself has been suspended.

“We are exploring so many discoveries that we have stumbled upon in our investigation. If it is about seeing people in jail, we will let them wait, everything has a process to follow. So, Nigerians should wait and give us the benefit of the doubt.”