Betta Edu to report at EFCC headquarters Tuesday
By Emma Ogbuehi
The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, is scheduled to report at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja on Tuesday, January 9.
Edu was suspended on Monday, January 8, by President Bola Tinubu over alleged N585 million cash transfer saga.
The minister was invited in compliance with Tinubu’s order that a comprehensive investigation encompassing her activities in the ministry be carried out, a top source in the anti-graft commission told reporters.
Meanwhile, Sadiya Farouq, Edu’s predecessor, was questioned by the EFCC on Monday on allegations that she laundered N37.1 billion while serving as a minister in the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.
READ ALSO: Why Tinubu descended on Betta Edu
Farouq was still at the office of the EFCC as of 6 pm on Monday.
Edu was discovered to be involved in a N585 million disbursement scandal involving her ministry, attracting widespread criticism from rights groups and activists.
Shortly after her suspension, she was barred from seeing Tinubu at Aso Rock.
She was seen in a video posted on the official X page of TVC, a television owned by President Tinubu, leaving the Villa after she was unable to see him hours after her suspension.
Edu’s scandal started when she signed a document requesting funds to be transferred to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola’s personal account.
The document was sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The controversies surrounding Edu, took a new twist on Monday, as Tinubu suspended her from office with immediate effect.
Tinubu also directed the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies under her.
Edu was equally directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation on her ministry.