The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday quizzed a former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, for her alleged roles in the misappropriation of N138,413,253.89.
The ex-minister was among those dropped last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
She was alleged to have violated procurement process and diverted public funds of about N138 million in the course of disbursing the 2023 budgeted funds for the ministry.
Kenney-Ohanenye arrived at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja around 11 a.m and faced interrogators over her alleged involvement in the fraud. She was still under interrogation at press time last night.
Investigations by the EFCC showed that funds donated for the funding of P-BAT Cares for Women Initiative were diverted.
A source within the EFCC claimed that the former minister was invited to the commission’s headquarters yesterday in Abuja around 11 a.m. and was interrogated.
“Investigations by the EFCC showed that funds donated for the funding of the P-Bat Cares for Women Initiative were diverted for her self-enrichment. Investigations are still ongoing. She has not been admitted to administrative bail,” the source said.
In July 2024, a House of Representatives committee invited Kennedy-Ohanenye over alleged N1.5 billion debt the ministry owed some contractors.
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The committee was investigating the alleged diversion of N1.5 billion meant for the payment of contractors.
The Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, alleged that the ministry awarded contracts that were not included in the 2023 budget, while the funds were diverted.
Ogbara said: “Money for contractors has not been paid, and money has been diverted.
“So, how do you pay these contractors?”
Ogbara said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) was also probing the ministry over alleged misappropriation of funds.
In an interview on June 5, Ogbara had said there were “many petitions” against the former minister.
The former minister had denied the allegations, saying she was not under investigation over claims of fund misappropriation.
EFCC detectives were considering other clues as part of the ongoing investigation.
The former minister has not been admitted to administrative bail.