Halima Shehu, the former head of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), has rejected allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion, insisting that no funds were ever traced to her or her relatives.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Shehu asserted that the funds in question were routine transfers to licensed financial institutions and service providers tasked with disbursing government aid to beneficiaries.
“I never transferred ₦44 billion to any personal account,” Shehu stated. “The EFCC never recovered a penny from my account, my family’s account, or any friend’s account.”
Shehu’s comments come as investigations continue into the management of social investment funds under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Addressing the scrutiny, she called on President Bola Tinubu to step in and release the official findings to the public.
“My integrity is my asset,” she added. “I may have made administrative mistakes, but I am not corrupt and I did not take funds meant for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.”
The former NSIPA chief explained that shortly after taking office, she uncovered severe systemic lapses, including transactions carried out without her knowledge or consent. She claimed that several programme managers appointed by then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, operated entirely outside the agency’s official framework.
“There were movements of funds that I didn’t give approval for, didn’t authorise and didn’t consent to,” Shehu said.
According to Shehu, she raised concerns with the minister and formally petitioned both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
However, rather than receiving whistleblower protection, she was suspended in December 2023, barely 10 weeks after escalating the issue.
Shehu noted that she has fully cooperated with anti-graft investigators, handing over documents and evidence to substantiate her claims.