Group threatens to drag EFCC to court over alleged cover-up of Betta Edu scandal, accuses Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo of corruption, nepotism

…. vows to demand visa ban and travel restrictions, drag indicted persons before international bodies.

The Committee for Transparency and Social Justice (CTSJ) has issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to publish a comprehensive update on its investigation into the multi-billion-naira corruption scandal involving suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, or face legal action both locally and internationally.

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In a strongly worded petition addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, CTSJ demanded immediate prosecution of all individuals implicated in the case, including Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, over what the group described as “grave corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office.”

The petition recalled that Dr. 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 uncovered illicit funds spread across more than 50 bank accounts, with about $24 million (approximately ₦30 billion) recovered.

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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 him being a serving minister at the time. The group further claimed that his wife, a federal civil servant, remains a director in the company in violation of public service rules.

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

a. Forging academic credentials, forming part of what it called his “documented history of corruption”.

b. Nepotism, through arbitrary postings and transfers of personnel within the Ministry of Interior and its agencies.

c. Secret recruitment of friends and family members into paramilitary agencies under his ministry’s supervision.

d. Awarding contracts to companies owned by relatives, friends, and political allies.

The group expressed alarm that such a person remains in charge of a ministry critical to Nigeria’s internal security and recruitment into sensitive security agencies.

CTSJ warned that EFCC’s “reluctance” to prosecute sends a dangerous message that some individuals are above the law, undermining President Tinubu’s anti-corruption stance and Nigeria’s credibility in the international community.

The petition also noted that EFCC’s inaction violates Nigeria’s obligations under several international anti-corruption treaties and conventions.

In its ultimatum, CTSJ demanded that within seven days the EFCC must:

i. Publish a detailed status report on the Betta Edu investigation.

ii. Disclose the extent of involvement of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and all other implicated persons.

iii. Commence immediate prosecution of all those found culpable.

Failure to comply, the group said, will trigger a global escalation of the matter. CTSJ vowed to petition Nigeria’s international partners and funding agencies supporting EFCC operations, and to seek visa bans on Edu, Tunji-Ojo, and EFCC Chairman Ola 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 concluded.

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

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