The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has summoned 20 senior directors and officials of the ministry as a follow-up to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation probe.
Some of the officials were questioned by investigators at the EFCC headquarters on Thursday.
This latest development followed a detailed investigation report on the ministry and recommendations presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to the EFCC on Tuesday.
A source, who confided in one of our correspondents on Thursday, said, “The EFCC is also probing some officials in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Some director-generals and civil servants; about 20 of them, are being interrogated. Some have been quizzed, and more are still coming for interrogation as the investigation continues.”
Financial improprieties
Another source further revealed that the probe had been widened to uncover various financial improprieties that might have been carried out since the ministry was created in 2019.
The source stated, “The fraud that was carried out in the ministry is very massive. It spans several projects and programmes executed over the past years from the immediate past administration into the new administration. Also, ex-minister Sadiya, Betta Edu, and Halima Shehu are not the only ones being quizzed. Several civil servants and ministry officials were involved too.”
Findings indicate that the collaboration between the EFCC and the ICPC would expect to expose more financial misconduct and other mischief perpetrated by civil servants since the Buhari administration period.
