Bettagate: EFCC widens net, arrests Zenith, Providus, Jaiz CEOs

Maureen Aguta

Three Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Nigeria’s prominent banks – Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz, are currently sweating it out in the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where they are being grilled by the operatives on their involvement in the financial heist alleged to have been committed Betta Edu, until Monday, the Minister in charge of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.

Specifically, the ant-graft agency is said to be holding Ebenezer Onyeagwu (Zenith Bank), Haruna Musa (Jaiz Bank), and Walter Akpani (Providus Bank), reports, say quoting Presidency sources, which explained that the bank chiefs were picked up on Tuesday.

The bank CEOs, who, according to the report, were being accused of facilitating the improper diversion of public funds into private accounts, are also being questioned about their involvement in the case of Farouq, who is also under investigation for allegedly mismanagement of at least N37billion in public funds designated for the conditional cash transfer programme.

Edu, who has since been suspended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to enable the EFCC investigate the allegation of her involvement in the transfer of N585 million meant for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States into private accounts, into private hands, is also under the radar of the commission.