Former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has denied allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion from the agency, insisting that no public funds were transferred into her personal account or those of her family members. She made the clarification during an interview on Arise Television, where she described the allegations as false and misleading.
Shehu said she discovered serious financial irregularities shortly after assuming office and immediately reported them to the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, as well as anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). According to her, several fund transfers were carried out without her knowledge or approval, despite her position as the agency’s chief accounting officer.
Rejecting claims that she diverted ₦44 billion, the former NSIPA boss maintained that investigators did not recover any funds from her personal accounts, those of her relatives or associates. She explained that the transactions under scrutiny involved payments made to licensed financial institutions and service providers responsible for disbursing government social intervention funds to beneficiaries, not transfers to private accounts.
Shehu further alleged that instead of being protected after reporting the irregularities, she was suspended from office barely 10 weeks after escalating her concerns. She said she cooperated fully with investigators throughout the probe, submitting documents and other evidence to support her claims.
Calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, Shehu urged the government to make the findings of investigations into NSIPA public. She insisted that while administrative mistakes may have occurred during her tenure, she never stole funds meant for poor and vulnerable Nigerians, stressing that her integrity remains her greatest asset.
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