Oyewale added that the agency mandated Mrs Shehu to always make herself available at their office anytime the need arises.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), after questioning her.
She was grilled about N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, which was led by former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
This was confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale on Thursday.
Oyewale added that the agency mandated Mrs Shehu to always make herself available at their office anytime the need arises.
“She was the National Coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the Ministry during Buhari’s tenure, and she has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her,” NAN quoted the EFCC spokesperson as saying.
It had been reported how Mrs Shehu was detained by EFCC after the agency stormed NSIPA’s office at the Federal Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday at about 9 am, and drove her to the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Shehu was reportedly detained and interrogated.
Trusted senior officers of the EFCC who spoke on the condition of anonymity, were said to have revealed that Shehu was indicted in connection with the alleged N37.1 billion fraud as the former National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the ministry.
The PUNCH quoted the EFCC source saying: “Halima Shehu is currently in our (EFCC) custody in connection with the ongoing N37.1bn fraud that took place under the former Humanitarian Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
“Halima was the National Coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the Ministry during Buhari’s tenure, and she’s been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her.
“The former Minister, Sadiya is also expected at the office tomorrow (Wednesday) for questioning over the N37.1bn money laundering case.”
It was reported on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu approved the suspension of Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the National Coordinator of NSIPA while Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the National N-Power Programme manager was appointed in acting capacity as NC/CEO pending the conclusion of the investigation.
It was also reported that the EFCC invited Umar-Farouk to appear before investigators on Wednesday over an ongoing probe into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered during her tenure in office, through a contractor, James Okwete.
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