ABUJA – Dr. Halimat Adenike Tejuosho, the prominent philanthropist recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has released an exhaustive personal statement detailing how she was allegedly duped of hundreds of millions of naira in a high-stakes “job-for-money” racketeering scheme.
Breaking her silence from a place of medical recovery, Dr. Tejuosho claims she was not the mastermind of the fraud but a “conduit and a victim” of a sophisticated syndicate led by a man posing as a high-ranking national security official.
The Introduction: A “Cleric” and a “Director”
The ordeal began in November 2023 when a former Commissioner for Lands in Nasarawa State introduced Tejuosho to a Muslim cleric, Malam Hassan Ibrahim Nasir. Seeking a federal appointment under the President Tinubu administration, Tejuosho was steered toward one Malam Ibrahim Gidado, also known as “Sarkin Yanma.”
According to the report, Gidado presented himself as a heavyweight within the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and a former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Multi-Million Naira “Screening”
The financial demands began shortly after. Tejuosho alleges she paid an initial N10 million in cash for “security clearance” in front of the ECOWAS building in Abuja. This was followed by a $50,000,000 equivalent payment in December 2023 to facilitate a presidential audience that never materialized.
By early 2024, the narrative shifted. Gidado allegedly convinced Tejuosho that she was destined for a ministerial role. Between January and February 2024, she reportedly handed over $500,000 in cash to Gidado to secure the Humanitarian Affairs portfolio.
The Syndicate Expands
The report takes a darker turn as Tejuosho admits to introducing other high-profile individuals to the scheme at Gidado’s request. These included:
- Mr. Sani Dantanko: Paid N80 million seeking the MD position at NBET.
- Mr. Yakumut Alhassan: Paid N50 million for a ministerial slot.
- Mrs. Sholoye: Paid N585 million in pursuit of the Group Managing Director position at NNPC Ltd.
Tejuosho claims that Gidado instructed her to receive these funds into her personal accounts before remitting them to him in cash to avoid a paper trail. “I insisted on a formal written agreement to protect all parties,” Tejuosho stated, noting that Gidado signed a document acknowledging receipt of the funds.
The Collapse and the EFCC
The house of cards collapsed in late 2024 when new federal appointments were announced, and none of the “investors” were on the list. When refunds were demanded, Gidado reportedly went incommunicado.
Following a petition by Mrs. Sholoye, the EFCC invited Tejuosho on December 31, 2024. While she was granted administrative bail in February 2025, she claims her health took a drastic turn, citing a rapidly growing brain tumor and chronic diabetes.
“I Did Not Evade Justice”
Addressing the “wanted” status, Tejuosho explained that her absence from EFCC invitations throughout 2025 was due to medical incapacitation. She revealed that her lawyers had repeatedly filed medical reports with the Commission while she underwent treatment in Lagos.
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”At no point did I deliberately evade the EFCC,” the statement read. “I was frequently incapacitated and unconscious.”
With the reported arrest of Malam Gidado in November 2025, Dr. Tejuosho is calling on the authorities to trace the funds to the “principal beneficiary” and cleared her name of the fraudulent label.
