EFCC releases suspended minister Betta Edu on bail

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, on bail, after hours of grilling.

The commission detained Edu in respect of the approval she gave for the payment of about N585 million of the ministry’s funds into the private account of a civil servant.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday suspended Edu from office and ordered EFCC to investigate the approval and other related scandalous revelations, following a public outrage expressed on the issue.

EFCC had immediately summoned her to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

She honoured the invitation on Tuesday morning and was held in custody till night when she was granted bail.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed on Wednesday that Edu was released on bail on Tuesday. Oyewale, however, refrained from commenting on the terms and conditions.

He said: “She was given bail yesterday night. I want to tell you that the investigation still continues.”

The EFCC began questioning the suspended Minister Tuesday morning.

A source told The Guardian that she is being interrogated by the commission and was coorporating with interrogators and has as well given proper insight into the issue at hand.

The source said Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the pioneer minister of the ministry then christened as the Ministry of Social Development, Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs, returned to the commission for questioning on Tuesday after she was released on bail on Monday.

Umar-Farouk is being investigated over a N37.1 billion allegedly laundered by officials of the ministry during her tenure as minister.

The source further disclosed that Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, was still undergoing investigation at the EFCC.

Shehu was responsible for overseeing the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme initiated by former President Muhammadu Buhari to give succour to vulnerable groups and individuals.