- The anti-graft agency disclosed that N30 billion of the N44 billion in the NSIPA accounts were transferred to the now frozen accounts
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it has flagged and frozen bank accounts credited with money transferred from the bank accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that N30 billion of the N44 billion in the NSIPA accounts were transferred to the now frozen accounts.
The development comes barely 24 hours after Halima Shehu, the embattled National Coordinator of NSIPA, was detained and arrested by EFCC after her suspension by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed the development to newsmen on Wednesday.
The accounts some NSIPA officials moved the money to have been frozen by anti-graft agency as part of an ongoing probe, the source told The Nation.
“After hours of interrogation and profiling of many accounts, the EFCC confirmed that unauthorised N44 billion was suspiciously moved out of NSIPA’s account to some private and corporate accounts”.
On Wednesday, EFCC grilled Shehu over the alleged fraud.
The anti-graft commission also arrested NSIPA’s immediate past Director of Finance and Accounts, DFA, Bwai Adamu Hamza.
Hamza retired from the agency in December.
Shehu and Hamza were subjected to interrogation yesterday by a special team.
Consequently, after tracking the cash movement, the EFCC recovered and froze the N30 billion traced to multiple accounts.
As of Tuesday, the agency had intercepted and seized N17 billion.
Within 24 hours, the commission traced and froze an additional N13 billion in some accounts, raising the cash seized to N30 billion.
It was learnt that the N44 billion was suspiciously moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to those serving as fronts.