EFCC recovers NHIS N900m fraudulently held by banks since 2015

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday disclosed that it has recovered N900 million belonging to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) “fraudulently trapped” in commercial banks since 2015.

EFCC recalled that on February 10, 2022, also released the sum of N1.5 billion recovered from the banks for the NHIS.

It disclosed this via its official twitter handle on Sunday, Persecondnews reports.

On July 29, 2021, the immediate past Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Muhammad Nasir Sambo had commended the anti-graft agency for assisting the Scheme in the recovery of funds fraudulently trapped in the vaults of some commercial banks.

The anti-graft agency’s statement reads: “Again, EFCC Recovers N900 Million for NHIS.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered an additional sum of N900,000,000 (Nine Hundred Million Naira) for the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

“The sum was part of monies which some Deposit Money Banks fraudulently withheld since 2015, and refused to remit into the NHIS’ Treasury Single Account, TSA.

“The recovered funds were released to NHIS on February 8, 2023, two days shy of one year, when the Commission, on February 10, 2022, also released the sum of N1, 500,000,000.00 (One Billion Five Hundred Million Naira) recovered from the banks to the NHIS.

“This is in addition to the N1, 400,000,000 (One Billion, Four Hundred Million Naira) earlier released to the Scheme on August 5, 2022.

“The Executive Secretary of NHIS, Professor Muhammad Nasir Sambo had on July 29, 2021 commended the Commission for assisting the Scheme in the recovery of funds fraudulently trapped in the vaults of some commercial banks.”