The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday seized the travel documents of suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Betta Edu and her predecessor Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

The anti-graft agency also impounded the international passport of the suspended National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) Halima Shehu.

The trio are being interrogated over allegations of financial crime levelled against them.

The passport seizure was part of the conditions for granting them administrative bail.

The travel papers are to be with the commission pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Edu, Umar-Farouq and Shehu were grilled by the anti-graft agency over their activities in the ministry, particularly the disbursement of the Humanitarian Fund to beneficiaries.

Also, EFCC quizzed the managing directors of three banks over alleged suspicious payments by the top officials of the ministry under Umar-Farouq and Edu.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who is linked to a company believed to have benefited from the award of a contract in the ministry, was at Aso Villa, Abuja yesterday.

Sources said he was there on a scheduled appointment in respect of the automation of international passport issuance. But he did not meet with the President.

An EFCC source told our reporter: “We have asked all those under interrogation to submit their travelling documents. We have seized the passports of Betta, Sadiya, Halima and others.

“For Betta, who was grilled from 11 am till 6 pm, she was the last to be granted bail yesterday.

“We demanded their passports to restrict their movement, to enable them to be available for interrogation. They are all cooperating with us.”

Sources said the three managing directors of banks were quizzed over their suspected conspiracy.

The banks were accused of refusal to raise “red flags” and gross involvement in suspicious transactions.

The banks were alleged to have violated the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amendment) 2023, especially Sections 5, 10, and 16(b). (Excerpted from a report by The Nation)

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