The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday widened it’s drag net in the ongoing investigations of corrupt practices that have ruin the action economy by questioning the Chief Executive Officers of Zenith Bank Ebenezer Onyeagwu and his two other counter parts in Providus Bank and Jaiz bank , Walter Akpani and Haruna Musa respectively.
The questioning of the banks chief executives came just as the Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),Ola Olukayode assured Nigerian that there will be no hiding place for the corrupt in Nigerian,given the political will of President Bola Tinubu to frontally tackle economic and financial crimes.
Sleeknews gathered that the bank Chief Executives were asked to make clarifications on the N585m misappropriated by suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr.Betta Edu and N3bn alleged paid out under her predecessor Sadiya Umar- Farouq.
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We also learnt that the bank Chief Executives were asked to throw lights on what they know about the social register which was created for cash transfers and other social investment programmes but turned into an avenue for money laundering.
The anti graft agency it was further gathered want to ascertain the authenticity of claims that a company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was paid a total amount of N438.1 million by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Betta Edu for consultancy services.
Thirdly, their bank roles in the alleged payments to the beneficiaries of N3 billion contract for the verification of list of vulnerable persons in the country and the alleged disbursement of about N37bn to vulnerable Nigerians.
Zenith Bank’s CEO Ebenezer Onyeagwu left the anti graft agency office immediately after answering preliminary questions from anti-graft detectives, but it is likely he will be reinvited as the needs for clarification arises.
The anti graft agency is seeking the maximum cooperation of the banks chief executives to unravel the alleged mismanagement of at least N37 billion in public funds designated for the conditional cash transfer programme of then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking on Tuesday when the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, paid him a courtesy visit at the corporate, EFCC Chairman Olukoyede said President Tinubu is offering the right atmosphere for anti-graft activities, both for the EFCC and ICPC and no Nigerian is immune to investigations for any corruption.
“We believe that with the kind of President we have, who is ready and willing to do the right thing and from what we have seen in recent times and in the last 48 hours, it is clear that he has provided the political will and leadership and created the atmosphere for us to work.
“So there is no hiding place for the corrupt. We must give our best, we must be committed and give the President the right support he needs. Nobody is too big to be investigated in this country. Once you are not playing according to the rules, we will investigate you”, he said.
Olukoyede added that the enormity of cases both agencies are handling justified their independent existence. “Even with five anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria, we hardly can do more than scratch the surface.