EFCC seizes passports of Betta Edu, Sadiya Farouk

EFCC seizes passports of Betta Edu, Sadiya Farouk

In the ongoing investigation into scandals within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken decisive action by seizing the passports of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

As Betta Edu faced rigorous questioning at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the commission also interrogated managing directors of three commercial banks connected to the N44bn fraud uncovered in the ministry.

The scandal unfolded following a leaked memo exposing Edu’s directive to transfer N585m to a private account, sparking allegations of misappropriation. Edu has defended the payment, stating it was intended for vulnerable groups in certain states.

In response to public pressure, the President suspended Betta Edu on Monday, instructing her to hand over responsibilities to the ministry’s permanent secretary.

Edu complied with an EFCC invitation on Tuesday, where her personal and official passports were seized, and she was barred from international travel. Additionally, her accounts have been frozen.

READ ALSO: EFCC arrests CEOs of Zenith, Providus, Jaiz Banks for alleged fraud

Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Edu’s predecessor, faced a 12-hour interrogation on Monday concerning the alleged N37.1bn money laundering during her tenure. Her passport was seized as part of bail conditions.

An EFCC source stated that the passport seizures aim to prevent the ministers from leaving the country during the ongoing investigations.

Efforts to reach their legal representation for comments were unsuccessful.

Neptune Prime previously covered the evolving situation, noting that the current developments involve the apprehension of Chief Executive Officers from Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks in connection with Edu and Umar-Farouk.