The Senate has uncovered how the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) shared the sum of N1billion among staff.

The agency also gave the Nigeria Police N475 million, Daily Trust reports.

The sum was doled out as a COVID-19 relief package and used for the purchase of some items.

On Thursday, the Red Chamber commenced a probe into allegations of misappropriation of N40 billion by NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC).

The Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Investigation of the alleged Financial Recklessness, Olubunmi Adetunmbi, gave a breakdown of how the fund was disbursed.

The senator said N10 million was given to one staff, N7 million each to two staff and N5 million each to three staff.

N3 million each was given to 148 staff, N1.5 million each to 175 staff, N1 million each to 495 staff.

N600,000 each was given to 464 staff and N475 million to the Nigeria Police to buy face masks and hand sanitizers.

Speaking, NDDC Acting Managing Director, Kemebradikumo Pondei, explained that the money was for COVID-19 relief.

He said they had to “take care of the staff, who are also the representatives of the people from the nine states of the Niger Delta region”.

Pondei noted that the money given to the police to buy the items was on request.

“We work very closely with the police. Without them, we can’t work. A request from the Police high command was made to us and the management looked at it and approved.”

Pondei added that the Police have not “given us the record of how the money was spent”.