The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly interrogated the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, in connection with an alleged N585.2 million fraud involving the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Betta Edu. The interrogation took place at the EFCC’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja,

Also read:Betta Edu released, to report to EFCC daily

According to details obtained by our correspondent, Madein was questioned for over six hours and was subsequently released with no conditions on Monday evening. The focus of the inquiry revolved around the payment of N585.2 million of government funds from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs into the private bank account of a government official.

An anonymous anti-graft source confirmed the interrogation, stating, “The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, has been invited and interrogated by the commission. She was grilled for over six hours on Monday over the payment of N585.2 million from the National Social Investment office account to the UBA account of Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of the Grants for Vulnerable Groups under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.”

The source further disclosed that Madein denied approving the memo from Minister Edu for the payment into a private account. Despite the intense questioning, the Accountant General was released after providing a written explanation during the interrogation.

The controversy surrounding the alleged fraud began when a leaked memo surfaced, revealing that Dr. Betta Edu, in December 2023, requested the Accountant General to transfer N585.2 million from the National Social Investment office account to the UBA account of Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of the Grants for Vulnerable Groups under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The AGF countered Edu’s claim in a statement, asserting that allocations were released to self-accounting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) following the budget, and such MDAs were responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments.

Dr Betta Edu, who was grilled by the EFCC for over 10 hours last week, is facing accusations of paying humanitarian funds into a private account, leading to her suspension by President Bola Tinubu. Additionally, Halima Shehu, the Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, is under investigation by the EFCC over an alleged N44 billion cash fraud.

The ongoing probes underscore the commitment to tackling corruption within government agencies and ensuring accountability in the management of public funds