Of the N44 billion that certain NSIPA officers transferred from the agency’s accounts to different accounts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced and blocked N30 billion of those funds.
The questionable transfer of N44 billion from NSIPA’s accounts into business and private accounts connected to front companies is the subject of an ongoing investigation into certain officials.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, Halima Shehu, the agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and National Coordinator, was questioned by EFCC interrogators on Wednesday. Shehu is currently suspended.
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Bwai Adamu Hamza, NSIPA’s recently retired Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA), was also detained by the anti-graft agency. Hamza retired in December.
The former minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, did not respond to the EFCC’s summons to appear for examination, even though Shehu and Hamza were questioned by a special team yesterday.
A contractor named James Okwete allegedly helped Umar-Farouq launder N37, 170,855,753.44 during her employment. As a result, Umar-Farouq was invited for questioning. The accusations were refuted by the former minister.
Following the revelation that N44 billion in cash had been removed from the agency’s vaults, investigations revealed that the ongoing NSIPA investigation had taken on a new dimension.
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However, the EFCC was able to retrieve and freeze the N30 billion that it had linked to several accounts after following the money’s transit.
The agency has intercepted and seized N17 billion as of Tuesday.
The commission located and frozen an extra N13 billion in some accounts in less than a day, bringing the total amount of money taken into custody to N30 billion.
Last night, detectives continued to profile numerous accounts in an effort to determine the remaining N14 billion.
The Nation was informed by a source that Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, was personally overseeing the investigation.
The source said: “After hours of interrogation and profiling of many accounts, the EFCC was able to confirm that unauthorised N44 billion was suspiciously moved out of NSIPA’s account to some private and corporate accounts.
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“So far, N30billion has been traced to some accounts and frozen.
“Our operatives are on the trail of the owners and alleged fronts or firms used to siphon the cash.
“Records showed that the N44 billion was hurriedly moved out of NSIPA’s account in one week.”
Another source said: “The National Coordinator and the ex-DFA were grilled by our investigating team for hours on Wednesday. Halima was taken into custody on Tuesday, while Hamza was arrested yesterday.
“Based on the new focus of the EFCC chairman, Halima was, on compassionate ground, allowed to go home at about 11 pm on Tuesday. She reported for another round of interaction yesterday.
“For Hamza, the EFCC arrested him following intelligence that he might travel out of the country for an engagement.”
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The source added: “The two persons have made useful statements, and we have recovered some records which enabled us to trace and freeze N30 billion. For a long time, the two officials have been working together.
“Immediately Hamza retired, Halima appointed him as a Special Adviser on Finance. He was expected to resume work on Tuesday.
“Our team is, however, working round the clock to uncover the accounts where the remaining N14 billion was hidden.”
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