Halima Shehu’s Public Challenge to the President and EFCC

Suspended National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) CEO Halima Shehu has made a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu, demanding the public release of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) report that investigated her tenure. In an open letter, she maintained she was framed for exposing massive corruption rather than perpetrating it.

Shehu was suspended in January 2024 amid allegations of financial impropriety. While the EFCC interrogated her, no findings have been published. Shehu now claims that no money was recovered from her and that, during her less-than-four-month stint, she uncovered severe internal control failures, including nearly 14 billion naira withdrawn without her knowledge and unauthorized signatories added to the agency’s Remita account.

According to Shehu, she reported these infractions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on December 22, 2023, just ten days before her suspension. She says her prior written appeals to the EFCC, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the President have gone unanswered, and her entitlements remain withheld.

What the Silence on NSIPA Reveals About Public Accountability

A Single Voice Against Institutional Opacity

Shehu’s plea underscores a recurring weakness in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework: the gap between high-profile investigations and transparent outcomes. The EFCC’s silence leaves the public unsure whether a top official was culpable or a whistleblower was punished. This opacity can erode trust in the government’s commitment to due process and discourage genuine internal reporting.

Political Cost of an Unresolved Saga

For President Tinubu’s administration, the case is a delicate one. NSIPA handles social safety nets that reach millions of vulnerable Nigerians, and the saga risks feeding a narrative that the fight against graft is selective or incomplete. Shehu’s framing of herself as a whistleblower who paid for her integrity—and her call to support women in leadership—adds a reputational dimension that may pressure the presidency to act, even if the legal process is still underway.

What the 14-Billion-Naira Claim Means

Shehu’s figure of nearly 14 billion naira in unauthorized withdrawals is currently unverified. If the EFCC report substantiates even a fraction of it, the consequences for public financial management at the agency could be significant. But until the report is published or at least disclosed to her, the allegations remain just that—claims from one side, with no official counter-narrative.