The travel documents of suspended minister Betta Edu and her predecessor Sadiya Umar-Farouq have been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of an investigation into alleged financial malfeasance during their time at the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry.
Additionally, the passport of Halima Shehu, former National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIPA), has also been seized by the EFCC as she is being probed for the alleged embezzlement of N44.8bn. Betta Edu was recently interrogated for over 10 hours by anti-graft investigators and has been released on bail, but is required to report to the EFCC office daily. She, along with Halima Shehu and Sadiya Umar-Farouq, is expected to return to the Commission’s office for further interrogation.
This development comes after Betta Edu’s suspension by President Bola Tinubu and her involvement in a N585m disbursement scandal.
The President took decisive action on Monday by immediately suspending the 37-year-old minister from his cabinet, making her the first to be removed since its inauguration last August. In addition, the President instructed the EFCC Chairman to thoroughly investigate the financial transactions involving the ministry and its agencies.
The suspended minister, Edu, was the youngest member of the President’s cabinet and had a promising political career, holding various state and national positions before her appointment. Prior to becoming a minister, she served as the Cross River State Commissioner for Health and was the National Women Leader of the ruling party. Edu played a significant role in the campaign of the President during the election process. However, her tenure as a minister was short-lived, lasting only six months.
Meanwhile, the EFCC continued to question Edu’s predecessor, Umar-Farouq, regarding allegations of money laundering during her time as a minister. After a lengthy interrogation, Umar-Farouq was allowed to return home but is expected to provide further clarifications on Wednesday.
