The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is currently interrogating the Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank in connection with the over N44 billion fraud allegedly uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.<\/p>\n
Our correspondent gathered that the senior bank executives are currently being quizzed by EFCC interrogators at the commission\u2019s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja as of 4.55 pm on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, is currently being held and is undergoing interrogation by the EFCC over \u20a6585 million scandal.<\/p>\n
Also, Halima Shehu, the embattled coordinator and chief executive officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, domiciled in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is being probed by the EFCC over an alleged \u20a644bn fraud.<\/p>\n
Confirming the probe of the senior bank executives to our correspondent on Tuesday, an EFCC source revealed that Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks are being questioned over the \u20a644.5bn fraud uncovered in the ministry involving Edu and Shehu.<\/p>\n
The source said, \u201cThe CEOs and MDs of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank are currently being grilled by our interrogators here at the headquarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were invited and are being probed in connection with the uncovered \u20a644bn fraud and the \u20a6585 million involving Halima Shehu and Betta Edu.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suspended minister and the coordinator have both made new revelations during their interrogations, and the investigation is still ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on Monday over an alleged N585 million cash transfer saga.<\/p>\n
The suspended minister was invited by the anti-graft agency in compliance with Tinubu\u2019s order that a comprehensive investigation encompassing her activities in the ministry be carried out, a top source in the anti-graft commission told reporters.<\/p>\n
Edu\u2019s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, was queried by EFCC interrogators on Monday over allegations that she laundered N37.1 billion while serving as a minister in former President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s cabinet.<\/p>\n
Also, Shehu was earlier arrested in connection with an alleged \u20a644billion money laundering and had been mandated to report to the EFCC every day following her release last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The NSIPA Coordinator was arrested and taken into EFCC custody Tuesday night following her suspension. It was learned that the \u20a644bn was suspiciously moved from NSIPA\u2019s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to persons serving as fronts.<\/p>\n
Confirming her release from EFCC custody in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale said Shehu has been mandated to meet with EFCC interrogators every day as the investigation continues.<\/p>\n
Oyewale said, \u201cHalima Shehu has been released, but she is still answering to our interrogators, and she has been mandated to meet with investigators every day as the investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerning reports on the \u20a644bn and \u20a630bn making the rounds, the commission is still tracing all the suspicious transactions, her agency was under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of money involved because the Ministry and agencies are focused on interventions. Hence, we can\u2019t put a figure to all of the transactions now because the commission is still tracing the transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EFCC interrogating the Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank in connection with the over N44 billion fraud<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":170374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,2],"tags":[60561,17,56309,35889,1518],"yoast_head":"\n