The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is yet to release the reports of its investigations into the alleged fraud cases involving former Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk and Betta Edu.
The investigations, which were launched 15 months, also involved a former coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu and a contractor, James Okwete.
This is just as the EFCC said that the investigations were still ongoing, reports Daily Trust.
Over N30 billion was said to have been recovered by the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from 50 bank accounts linked to the ministry when Edu and Sadiya held sway there.
How it all started
Trouble began for Edu, Sadiya and other top civil servants in the ministry after a memo surfaced on the social media wherein Edu allegedly asked the then Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million into a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget.
The ministry had claimed that Bridget was serving as Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
Later, documents where Edu allegedly gave some controversial approvals, including that of air fares to Kogi, a state without an airport, went viral.
Edu was suspended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on January 8, 2024.
A week before Edu’s suspension, Halima Shehu had been suspended as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) over alleged financial malfeasance when Edu alleged that billions of naira went missing under Shehu’s watch.
Shehu was subsequently arrested and questioned by the EFCC in connection with the alleged movement of N44 billion from the NSIPA’ account to some private and corporate accounts within the last four days in December 2023.
The EFCC also interrogated Sadiya Umar-Farouq over allegations of corruption in the handling of N37.1 billion social intervention funds during her tenure.
Tinubu constituted a panel led the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to “among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes”
The social investment programmes were domiciled in the ministry then and were implemented by the NSIPA.
The programmes included the N-Power Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
The programmes were later put on hold after Edu’s suspension.
Findings by our correspondent at the weekend showed that the EFCC had not compiled any charge(s) against the officials being probed.
It was learnt that Shehu, who worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under former President Muhammadu Buhari before her appointment as NSIPA boss, had stopped going to the EFCC as part of bail conditions given to her last year.
Multiple sources at the EFCC told our correspondent yesterday that the case was “complicated” because of the involvement of other high-profile individuals.
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.
Investigations ongoing – EFCC’s spokesman
When contacted yesterday, the spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, told our correspondent investigations into the case were still ongoing.
He 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 N30 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 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. 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.”
Nothing yet after interim report submission
It was exclusively reported that the EFCC had, last October, said it had submitted its interim report to President Tinubu.
It was gathered that the report revealed how some billions of naira were recovered from Edu and Sadiya.
Sources hinted that N30 billion was returned to the government’s coffer within two months of their arrests by the anti-graft agency.
Delay in investigations shows no consequences for corruption – Expert
Speaking to our correspondent last night, the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ayodeji Ologun, alleged that the delay in concluding the case showed that there are no consequences for corruption.
He said: “The danger the act portends is enormous to our collective resolve at eradicating corruption.
“It is often said that justice delayed is justice denied, hence waiting for investigation into a fraud of such monumental magnitude as reported in about 15 months makes one gets worried about if there are really consequences for actions in this country.
“An anti-corruption agency that prides herself on arrests of little politicians and even young internet fraudsters can’t claim to lack the wherewithal to follow up on investigation into sleaze in the ministry of humanitarian affairs except there are directives from higher quarters to step down on such investigation or let it pass because of same political affiliations not minding the ethics and rules of the profession.
“It is becoming almost certain that the present administration seems to be looking away when our collective efforts are being pilfered away under whatever guisey.”
Nigerians must know what’s happening – HEDA
The chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre, an anti-corruption organisation working on illicit financial flows and unresolved corruption cases, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the federal government and the EFCC should let Nigerians know what is happening on the scandal.
“Nigerians commended the EFCC for its actions so far on the case. They are waiting for the outcome of the investigations, especially now that it is more than one year and they have not seen anyone charged to court,” Suraju said.
