Governor orders recovery of N2.1bn stolen orphan funds
Kebbi State Government has constituted a committee to recover money fraudulently removed from the individual accounts of orphans out of the N2.1 billion funds disbursed by the World Muslim League.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that on October 10, the League disbursed N2.1 billion to 1,849 orphans in the state through bank transfers to cater for their upbringing.
NAN gathers that some guardians entrusted with managing the money have engaged in fraudulent activity by shortchanging those under their care.
Briefing newsmen on the development in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Aliyu, said Governor Nasir Idris, had directed the immediate recovery of the money in full and return it to the rightful owners.
“The governor has high compassion for orphans, he is up to the task. He, therefore, charged the committee to do the needful, to ensure thorough investigation.
“We contacted the banks that disbursed the funds but they informed us that the fraudulent acts were perpetrated using Point of Sale terminals, not the conventional banking channels.
“But we are sounding a word of caution, any bank discovered to be involved in the removal of the orphans’ money, the government will formally write a letter of complaint to the headquarters of such bank for appropriate action,” he warned.
Sani-Aliyu vowed that the present administration would not fold its arms to allow some unscrupulous guardians of orphans to cheat the orphans.
“The Recovery Committee is headed by my humble self, two other Commissioners, two Special Advisers and two Permanent Secretaries,” the commissioner said.
