On Tuesday, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), interrogated the chief executive officers of Zenith, Jaiz and Providus banks over the alleged financial irregularities uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, a reliable source in the commission told Daily Trust.
The EFCC also quizzed and took to its custody, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, for directing the payment of the sum of N585.189 million grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos States into one Bridget Mojisola Oniyelu’s private account.
A senior EFCC official, who spoke to our correspondent yesterday, said: “I can tell you that the CEOs and MDs of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank and Jaiz Bank are currently being grilled by our interrogators here at the headquarters.
“They were invited and are being probed in connection with the some of the financial irregularities uncovered in the humanitarian affairs ministry. When asked whether they would be released on administrative bail on Tuesday,
the source said that he was not sure.
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Repeated calls and messages sent to the heads of corporate communications of Zenith and Jaiz Bank were not answered or returned.
However, multiple sources in the affected banks confirmed to Daily Trust that “it was a routine invitation to the banks”, asking them to provide information on some customers of the bank who are direct beneficiaries of the disbursements of the grants by the humanitarian affairs ministry.
According to the bank officials, who did not want their names in print, the banks have since complied and cooperated with the anti-graft agency in its investigations.
The bank sources deny any involvement of their institutions in the alleged N44 billion corruption case within the ministry.
One of the sources said: “Our MD handed over documents relating to accounts operated by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the anti-graft agency.
“He departed the Abuja headquarters of the anti-graft agency as soon as the documents were handed over”,
the source added.
