Probe spreads as EFCC grills AGF over N585m humanitarian ministry fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has grilled the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, over her alleged link to the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu’s alleged N585.2m financial malfeasance.

The EFCC interrogated Madein on Tuesday at its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

Reports have it that the AGF was quizzed for over six hours and was released with no condition in the evening.

According to a source, Madein was grilled over the payment of N585.2m of government funds from the Ministry into the private bank account of a government official.

The source had said: “The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, has been invited and interrogated by the commission.

“She was grilled for over six hours on Monday over the payment of N585.2m from the National Social Investment office account to the UBA account of Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of the Grants for Vulnerable Groups under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

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“The AGF was not detained, and she was released with no condition after she made her explanation in writing to the investigators during interrogation. However, she told interrogators that she didn’t approve the memo from Minister Edu for the payment into a private account.”

Recall that a leaked memo in December 2023 uncovered how Edu asked the AGF to transfer the N585.2m from the National Social Investment office account to the UBA account of Oniyelu, the accountant of the Grants for Vulnerable Groups under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The AGF, however, countered the claim by Edu, and stressed that the allocations were released to self-accounting MDAs in line with the budget and such MDAs were responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects.

Meanwhile, the suspended Minister last week Tuesday was also grilled by the anti-graft agency for over 10 hours over the alleged fraud in her Ministry.

The EFCC is also probing the embattled Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency domiciled in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Halima Shehu, over an alleged N44bn cash fraud.

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