EFCC Recovers N32.7bn, $445,000 From Humanitarian Ministry

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has slammed the currently suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, along with her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, and Halima Shehu, the head of the National Social Insurance Programmes Agency. The EFCC disclosed the recovery of a substantial sum totaling N32.7 billion and $445,000 from the ministry to date.

In a statement released on Sunday, the EFCC addressed various public discussions and conjectures about its ongoing mobile probe into the suspected financial irregularities within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, confirmed that the aforementioned funds were recouped following the interrogation of former and currently suspended officials from the ministry.

Previously, a consortium of 10 Civil Society Organisations, known as the Civil Society Groups Against Defamation Initiative, had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to restore Edu to her position if she is cleared of all charges by the ongoing inquiry.

Nevertheless, Oyewale clarified in the Sunday evening announcement that the EFCC’s attention has been drawn to the growing public discourse surrounding its active investigation into the alleged financial mismanagement at the ministry.

From the commencement of the investigation, the EFCC has summoned former and suspended ministry officials, leading to the recovery of the aforementioned funds.

The EFCC’s thorough investigations have also uncovered additional fraudulent activities involving Covid-19 relief funds, a World Bank loan, and the utilization of the Abacha loot, which was allocated to the ministry by the Federal Government for poverty reduction initiatives. The probe has implicated several banned and suspended ministry officials in the alleged financial wrongdoing.