Humanitarian Ministry: EFCC Discovers Fraudulent COVID Funds, World Bank Loan, Abacha Loot

• Principal officers of the humanitarian ministries have a lot of questions to answer the EFCC after it concludes its investigation
• The commission on Sunday, April 14, said it has discovered fraudulent dealings connected to COVID-19 funds, World Bank loan and recovered Abacha loot
• The EFCC added that it has recovered not less than N32.7billion and $445,000 so far by its investigators

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made some worrisome discoveries in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Among the finds are fraudulent dealings involving COVID-19 funds, World Bank loans, and late General Sani Abacha's recovered loot.

In a statement released on Sunday, April 14, the EFCC's spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the funds were released to the ministry by the federal government to execute poverty alleviation programmes.

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The anti-graft commission disclosed that so far its investigators have recovered N32.7billion and $445,000.

According to the EFCC, the ongoing probe has linked a lot of officials in the ministry, including those suspended.

The statement, seen by The Cable, read in part:

“At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the Commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of N32.7billion and $445,000 so far.

“Discreet investigations by the EFCC have opened other fraudulent dealings involving Covid-19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot released to the Ministry by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.

"Investigations have also linked several interdicted and suspended officials of the ministry to the alleged financial malfeasance.”

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Betta Edu: EFCC Gives Fresh Update on Recovered Fund, Bank Accounts

The EFCC had given a fresh update on the ongoing investigation of the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, and erstwhile chief executive officer of the now-suspended National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.

The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede said the anti-graft agency has so far recovered N30billion for the Federal Government and placed 50 bank accounts under investigation.

Source: Legit.ng