A corruption investigation into Nigerian Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has allegedly uncovered £19 million in more than 50 bank accounts, according to a financial watchdog. Edu, who has been suspended since January over accusations of diverting £505,000 of public funds into a personal account, faces further scrutiny after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initiated a six-week investigation into the ministry.
Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of EFCC, disclosed that the probe has identified numerous suspicious transactions, describing the scale of the investigation as significant.
President Bola Tinubu ordered a comprehensive investigation into the financial transactions involved, resulting in the suspension of several government aid programs. While Edu has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the transferred funds were for grants to vulnerable groups, the recovered money has been returned to government coffers. However, Olukoyede cautioned that the investigation could be protracted due to the complexity of the case.
Nigerians express frustration over persistent corruption in the country, which scored 25 out of 100 on Transparency International's corruption perceptions index in 2023.
Source: The Telegraph
