Former Nigeria Welfare Head Denies ₦44bn Embezzlement

A former head of Nigeria's social welfare agency has publicly denied allegations that she embezzled billions of naira, claiming she was suspended for reporting financial irregularities she discovered upon taking office. Halima Shehu, the former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), made the assertions in a television interview on Monday, July 27, 2026, and in a separate video and open letter released over the preceding weekend.

Shehu categorically rejected claims that she diverted 44 billion naira, stating that anti-corruption investigators have not traced any public funds to her personal accounts or those of her family. She explained that the transactions under scrutiny were legitimate payments to licensed service providers and financial institutions responsible for disbursing government social intervention funds to beneficiaries.

Instead, Shehu positioned herself as a whistleblower who was punished for exposing problems. She said she uncovered weak financial controls and alleged irregularities shortly after assuming her role and reported them to the then-Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, in late...