Group Gives EFCC 7 Days on Betta Edu Scandal, Threatens International Action

By Admin

The Committee for Transparency and Social Justice (CTSJ) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release a comprehensive update on its probe into the multi-billion-naira corruption scandal involving suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr.

In a petition to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, CTSJ demanded the immediate prosecution of all individuals implicated in the case, including Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, accusing him of “grave corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office.”

Edu was suspended in January 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after being accused of diverting ₦585 million into a private account. EFCC investigations reportedly traced illicit funds across more than 50 bank accounts, recovering about $24 million (₦30 billion).

CTSJ alleged that New Planet Project Ltd, a company linked to Tunji-Ojo, received a ₦438.1 million consultancy contract from Edu’s ministry under the National Social Register project, despite his position as a serving minister. The group claimed Tunji-Ojo’s wife, a federal civil servant, remains a director in the company in breach of public service regulations.

Beyond the contract controversy, CTSJ accused Tunji-Ojo of:

Forging academic credentials.

Engaging in nepotism through arbitrary personnel postings within the Ministry of Interior.

Secretly recruiting friends and relatives into paramilitary agencies under his ministry.

Awarding contracts to associates and political allies.

The group warned that leaving Tunji-Ojo in charge of a ministry overseeing Nigeria’s internal security posed a national risk. It also accused the EFCC of “reluctance” to prosecute, saying this undermines Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda and Nigeria’s credibility abroad.

CTSJ argued that EFCC’s inaction breaches Nigeria’s commitments under several international anti-corruption treaties.

The group’s demands include:

1. A public status report on the Betta Edu investigation.

2. Disclosure of Tunji-Ojo’s alleged involvement and that of others implicated.

3. Prosecution of all culpable individuals.

Failure to comply within seven days, CTSJ warned, will prompt it to petition international partners, funding agencies, and foreign governments to impose visa bans on Edu, Tunji-Ojo, and EFCC Chairman Olukoyede.

“The Nigerian people deserve full accountability, and we will pursue all lawful means to ensure that justice is done and seen to be done,” the petition stated.

Copies of the petition were sent to President Tinubu, the National Assembly, the National Security Adviser, Transparency International, and several foreign embassies and agencies in Nigeria.