N44bn Fraud: EFCC Frees, Re-invites Suspended NSIPA National Coordinator, Halima Shehu

•To face further interrogation 

•N17bn allegedly moved into suspicious accounts intercepted, recovered by commission

•Anti-graft agency tracing remaining billions laundered from the social investment as cash

•Shehu defied presidential directive to work with humanitarian minister to pay 400,000 beneficiaries of N-Power programme

Kingsley Nwezeh and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Tuesday night released the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.

A competent source told THISDAY that she was released at 11pm Tuesday night but was told to return by 11am yesterday, for continuation of her interrogation.

“She was detained but released by 11pm yesterday. She will return 11am Wednesday for further interrogation,” the source said.

Halima Shehu, who allegedly resisted arrest for over eight hours on Tuesday, was finally picked up in connection with the movement of N44 billion from NSIPA account to some suspicious accounts within the last four days in December 2023.

The interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without presidential approval.

It was learnt that the EFCC might have recommended Halima Shehu’s suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Her indefinite suspension, based on preliminary investigation, was to pave the way for an unfettered probe of the infraction.

Operatives of the commission, who were drafted to the National Coordinator’s private office and home, arrested her at about 8pm on Tuesday.

After searching her home and office, she was taken into custody at about 9pm for interrogation.

It was also learnt that the EFCC was closing in on a director of the agency, who was allegedly complicit in the huge payments into the suspicious accounts.

The former Director of Finance NSIPA, Hamza Buwai, it was gathered was presently on the run and trying to escape from the country.

Investigation revealed that following intelligence, the EFCC uncovered “unusual movement of billions of naira” from NSIPA’s account. It was common knowledge that agency heads have approval limit of N10 million only from government coffers.

A top source, who pleaded to remain anonymous said: “The EFCC raised a red flag on the suspicious payments of billions of naira into some individual and corporate accounts.

“Preliminary investigation showed that there was no presidential approval or ministerial approval for the payment of such humongous funds from government coffers.

“Pre-emptive steps were immediately put in place to track the suspicious funds. So far, about N17 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some accounts by this commission.

“Our team is working round the clock to trace the remaining billions of naira suspected to have been laundered from the Social Investment as cash.”

An EFCC source told our correspondent how the NSIPA boss was arrested.”

He added: “Shortly after her suspension, EFCC operatives laid siege to her office in Maitama District but it took almost nine hours to arrest her. “While the siege lasted, the EFCC chairman directed that the operatives should not break into her office or her residence but wait patiently for her to come out. She was overheard making several calls for rescue or escape.

“Eventually, she was arrested and detained by our team. Her grilling immediately started based on preliminary findings.”

Before her appointment, she worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme which was marred by several irregularities under former President Buhari.

She also served with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under Sadia Farouk who is being investigated for an alleged N37 billion fraud.

This was between 2017 and 2022.

Investigation so far confirmed that the president wielded the big stick because Halima Shehu had earlier defied a presidential directive to work with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to pay the outstanding and statutory stipends to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme before Christmas.

About 400,000 beneficiaries have not received monthly stipends in the past few months.

The source added: “the suspended National Coordinator did not work with the minister as expected on N-Power. Following the defiance of the presidential directive, the presidency asked the minister to liaise with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay the N-Power beneficiaries for the first month which was successfully done.

“In the midst of this challenge, the EFCC intercepted suspicious payments by NSIPA. The president had no choice than to approve her suspension  as requested by the EFCC.”

The EFCC was on the trail of a director of the Social Investment Agency Hamza Bawai, who was central to the suspicious payments.