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.

On October 10, the League disbursed N2.1 billion to 1,849 orphans in the state through bank transfer to cater for their upbringing.

It was gathered that some guardians entrusted with managing the money engaged in fraudulent activity by short-changing those under their care.

Briefing journalists on the development in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Muhammad Sani-Aliyu, said the state governor, Nasir Idris, directed the immediate recovery of the money in full and return it to the rightful owners.

He said, “The governor has high compassion for orphans, he is up to the task. He therefore, charged the committee to do the needful, to ensure a 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, government will formally write a letter of complaint to the headquarters of such bank for appropriate action.’’

Mr Sani-Aliyu vowed that the present administration would not fold its arms to allow some unscrupulous guardians of orphans to cheat the orphans.

The commissioner said, “Kebbi State Government is immensely appreciative to the World Muslim League for its magnanimity and for disbursing such a colossal amount of money to orphans in the state. The Nigeria’s Regional Office of the League in Kaduna State has been notified of what is happening in Kebbi State and the office has pledged full cooperation to the funds’ recovery efforts. The recovery committee is headed by my humble self, two other commissioners, two special advisers and two permanent secretaries.’’

(NAN)