Falana aks EFCC to probe N33.75bn unaccounted cash transfers to poor Nigerians

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged failure to account for N33.75 billion earmarked as cash transfers for vulnerable Nigerians.

Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), also called on the anti-graft agency to collaborate with the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) to recover the funds if investigations establish that they were diverted.

He made the call in a statement on Sunday following findings contained in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

The report raised concerns over the government’s inability to provide adequate evidence that N33.75 billion in cash transfers reached the intended beneficiaries.

According to Falana, the money was meant to benefit more than 3.29 million vulnerable households under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

He said the revelation was troubling, particularly because the government had introduced measures designed to improve beneficiary identification, track payments and prevent the inclusion of fictitious recipients.

The National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), established under the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2022, oversees key social intervention initiatives, including N-Power, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, the National Cash Transfer Programme and the National Social Safety Net Programme.

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Falana noted that the agency had nevertheless faced several allegations of financial misconduct involving officials.

He recalled that former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, was investigated by the EFCC over allegations involving more than N37.1 billion.

He also referenced the suspension of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, after a December 2023 directive concerning the transfer of N585 million in public intervention funds to a private bank account.

Falana further cited the suspension and questioning of the then NSIPA Chief Executive Officer, Halima Shehu, over alleged suspicious financial transactions.

He urged the EFCC to conclude its investigations into the various allegations and publish its findings.

Falana said the commission should work with the Auditor-General to trace and recover the N33.75 billion if it was found to have been unlawfully diverted.

He also called for the arrest and prosecution of anyone found culpable, stressing that funds intended for poor Nigerians must not be diverted for private purposes.

Beyond the cash transfer controversy, Falana expressed concern over the implementation of a $3.05 billion development package unveiled by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026.

The package, backed by the World Bank, is designed to support poverty reduction, human capital development and the expansion of economic opportunities across Nigeria.

Falana urged the Federal Government to strengthen transparency mechanisms to ensure that the funds reach their intended beneficiaries.

He also proposed the creation of an oversight body comprising credible civil society organisations to monitor the disbursement and implementation of the development programmes.

According to him, stronger accountability measures are essential to prevent the diversion or abuse of public funds meant to support Nigeria’s poor and vulnerable population.