N585m Fraud Allegations: Betta Edu Denies Ownership of N30bn Recovered by EFCC

Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, has denied claims that the N30 billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is linked to her.

Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on January 8 following allegations of N585.2 million fraud. The president instructed the EFCC to thoroughly investigate the financial transactions involving Edu’s ministry.

The EFCC reported that it has recovered N30 billion and is investigating over 50 accounts in connection with the case. The commission shared the news in its bulletin titled “EFCC Alert,” stating, “We have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.”

Edu’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, issued a letter on Wednesday asserting that the N30 billion has no connection to Edu. The letter stated, “Neither N30bn nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceeds of crime been traced or recovered from her.”

The statement emphasized the importance of presuming innocence until proven guilty, citing the language used in the description of Edu’s involvement in the case as potentially prejudicial.