…30 minutes after Tinubu’s order for her ministry’s probe
Barely 30 minutes after President Bola Tinubu suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, from office for alleged fraud, the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has summoned the embattled Minister for interrogation.
The EFCC, it was learnt, on Monday, invited Edu to its headquarters located in Jabi, Abuja.
Tinubu had announced the Minister’s suspension from office through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
It was gathered that the EFCC had earlier recommended the Minister’s immediate suspension in order to pave way for the ongoing investigation that had been ordered by President Tinubu.
It was further learnt that the anti-graft agency’s operatives swung into action immediately the President ordered a probe into the alleged of payment of N585.189 million grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.
The EFCC, it was learnt, had argued that it might become somehow hamstrung in its investigations if the Minister was not suspended from office.
Already, the EFCC has sent an official invitation, it was learnt, to the suspended Minister and she’s now being expected to physically present herself at the anti-graft agency’s headquarters any moment.
Efforts to speak with the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were not successful.
He could not be reached on phone.