Betta Edu: EFCC Seizes Tinubu, Buhari's Ministers' Passports, Gives Reason

• The EFCC has reportedly seized the passports of Betta Edu, the minister recently suspended by President Bola Tinubu over financial misconduct
• Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the former minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation under immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, also had her passport seized
• Suspended minister Edu and her predecessor, Umar-Farooq, were under investigation by the EFCC over reported financial misconduct rocking the ministry

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The passports of Betta Edu, the minister of humanitarian and poverty alleviation affairs, suspended by President Bola Tinubu, and her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, have been seized.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seized the two ministers' passports over the ongoing investigation of financial misconduct rocking the ministry, The Punch reported.

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Betta Edu: Investigation deepens as EFCC quizzes top ministry officials

How Betta Edu landed in EFCC custody

Edu was at the anti-graft agency headquarters in Abuja at 10 am on Tuesday, January 9, and was quizzed by the commission's investigators till 7 pm.

The embattled minister came under fire after a leaked memo revealed how she directed the accountant-general of the federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum of N585m to an individual account owned by Oniyelu Bridget.

According to the ministry, Bridget currently serves as the project accountant for grants for vulnerable groups.

Why Buhari's minister, Umar-Farooq, is in EFCC custody

Edu's predecessor, Farouq, was also quizzed by the EFCC investigator for 12 hours on Monday, January 8, over the probe of N37.1 billion allegedly mismanaged when she was in office through a contractor, James Okwete.

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Betta Edu: "Tinubu put politics ahead of competence", says Phrank Shaibu

The anti-graft agency also seized the former minister's passport. This was part of the conditions given in her bail clause before she was released on Monday night.

A reliable source within the EFCC disclosed that the passports of the former minister and her successor, Edu, were seized to stop them from leaving the country while an investigation was still ongoing.

Lawyer reacts to Betta Edu's action

However, Barrister Titilope Anifowoshe, who spoke with Legit.ng, said the action of Edu contradicted the youth-oriented values she represented in Tinubu's government.

She said:

"Edu's actions not only contradict the youth-oriented values she represents but also violate Section 713 of the Public Sector Financial Regulation Act, which deems depositing public funds into a private bank account fraudulent."

Betta Edu, 16 other ministers sacked by Nigerian presidents since 1999

Legit.ng earlier reported that Edu increased the number of ministers that were either sacked or suspended by the sitting president to 17 since the return of democracy in the country.

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Betta Edu: EFCC releases suspended minister on bail after hours of grilling

Since 1999, Nigeria has had five presidents, including Tinubu. At one point or another, one or two of their ministers had to leave for controversial reasons.

Source: Legit.ng