EFFC Detains Halima Shehu on Alleged N37Billion Fraud

The Anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, over the ongoing alleged fraud of N37.1 billion.

A financial impropriety was alleged to be laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development under former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk. This arrest follows the suspension of Halima Shehu as NSIPA National Coordinator while the Tinubu-led administration appointed Dr. Akindele Egbuwalo as a replacement in an acting capacity for the office of NSIP National Coordinator.

The Anti-graft agency, however, took an early morning field trip directly to NSIPA’s office at the Federal Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday at about 9 am and drove Shehu to the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja, where she’s now being interrogated.

West Africa Weekly reported on Tuesday that Bola Tinubu approved the suspension that led to her replacement as NSIPA chairholder. At the same time, Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the National N-Power Programme manager, was appointed in acting capacity as NC/CEO pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Meanwhile, Halima’s arrest was initiated after EFCC reportedly invited the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Umar-Farouk,  to appear before investigators today (Wednesday) over an ongoing probe into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered during her tenure in office, through a contractor reported to be one James Okwete.

The operatives clarified that a few other officials who collaborated with her had also been asked on different days to offer an understanding of how the ministry’s operations were conducted over the previous six years.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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