The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission detained Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, over the suspicious movement of N17 billion from the NSIPA account to questionable accounts within one week.
The arrest comes on the heels of allegations of significant payments by the agency without the required presidential approval.
The EFCC, after uncovering the alleged irregularities, recommended Shehu’s suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Halima Shehu was arrested at her private office and home around 8 pm on Tuesday, following searches by EFCC operatives.
She is currently in custody for interrogation, with an ongoing probe into the alleged movement of funds.
A top source revealed that the EFCC had detected “unusual movement of billions of naira” from the NSIPA’s account, prompting an immediate response to track and intercept the suspicious funds.
Approximately N17 billion has been intercepted and recovered, with efforts underway to trace additional laundered funds.
The source detailed the events leading to Halima Shehu’s arrest: “Shortly after her suspension, EFCC operatives laid siege to her office in Maitama District, but it took almost two hours to arrest her. While the siege lasted, the EFCC chairman directed that the operatives should not break into her office or her residence. Eventually, she was arrested and detained by our team. Her grilling immediately started based on preliminary findings.”
Shehu, formerly the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, had reportedly defied a presidential directive to work with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to pay outstanding stipends to N-Power beneficiaries before Christmas.