Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the agency has so far recovered N30billion for the Federal Government traced to 50 bank accounts which have been placed under investigation.
Olukoyede made the disclosure while giving an update on the ongoing probe of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, including the erstwhile chief executive officer of the now suspended National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.
Both Edu and Shehu were suspended about three months ago by President Bola Tinubu over alleged financial malfeasance. The President also suspended the Social Investment Programme and, thereafter, asked the EFCC to take over the case and probe both embattled officials including anyone involved.
Olukoyede emphasised the magnitude of the case and the need for Nigerians to exercise patience as reported by the commission’s monthly e-magazine, EFCCAlert.
“We have laws and regulations guiding our investigations. Nigerians will also know that they are already on suspension and this is based on the
investigations we have done, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption.
“Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government. It takes time to conclude investigations; we started this matter less than six weeks ago. There are cases that take years to investigate. There are so many angles to it. And we
need to follow through with some of the discoveries that we have seen. Nigerians should give us time on this matter; we have professionals on this case and they need to do things right. There are so many leads here and there.
“As it is now, we are investigating over 50 bank accounts that we have traced money into. That is no child’s play. That’s a big deal. Then you ask about my staff strength. And again, we have thousands of other cases that we are working on.
“Nigerians have seen the impact of what we have done so far, by way of some people being placed on suspension and by way of the recoveries that we have made. You have seen that the programme itself has been suspended.
“We are exploring so many discoveries that we have stumbled upon in our investigation. If it is about seeing people in jail, well let them wait, everything has a process to follow. So Nigerians should wait and give us the benefit of the doubt,” Olukoyede stated.