- About N30 billion moved from the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) to multiple private accounts have been frozen
- It was gathered that the money was moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to those serving as fronts.
- EFCC operatives are reportedly on the trail of the owners and alleged fronts or firms used to siphon the cash.
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy
FCT, Abuja – Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have traced and frozen N30 billion moved from the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) to multiple private accounts.
According to The Nation, the money was moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to those serving as fronts.
Legit.ng recalls that some NSIPA officials have been undergoing investigation by the anti-graft agency.
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It was gathered that the ongoing investigation took a new dimension following the discovery that the total cash taken out of the NSIPA vaults was N44 billion.
The EFCC has reportedly intercepted and seized N17 billion as of Tuesday, January 2 and an additional N13 billion in some accounts, raising the cash seized to N30 billion.
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.
“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.”
EFCC arrests NSIPA coordinator Halima Shehu over N37.1bn fraud
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that EFCC arrested Halima Shehu, the suspended National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIPA.
This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged laundering of N37,170,855,753.44 within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development during the tenure of former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
On Tuesday at around 9 am, EFCC operatives raided NSIPA’s office at the Federal Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory and subsequently transported Shehu to the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
EFCC to arrest Buhari’s minister over alleged N37.1bn fraud
An EFCC senior official said the former minister of humanitarian affairs might be arrested by operatives of the anti-graft agency within the week.
This is following Farouq’s refusal to voluntarily appear before investigators at the EFCC’s headquarters as officially requested by the commission.
Source: Legit.ng