Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, on Wednesday, shunned an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission probing the N37.1bn allegedly laundered during her tenure in office through a contractor, James Okwete.
Umar-Farouq kept interrogators waiting for over eight hours on Wednesday without an official communication to the commission as to why she didn’t honour the invitation.
The PUNCH reports that the former minister was asked to appear before investigators at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at about 10:00 am, to give an account of the alleged fraud that took place under her watch, a document exclusively seen by our correspondent on Saturday revealed.
However, our correspondent who was at the EFCC headquarters from 9 am to 6.30 pm confirmed that the former minister did not show up at the anti-graft agency’s office for interrogation.
An interrogator, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the interrogation team had to close from work at about 6pm when they were certain that the former minister was not going to show up.
“We just closed from work now because she didn’t show up today, and it’s 6pm already. It’s certain that she’s never going to show up today (yesterday),” the source said.
Our correspondent who monitored development at the EFCC headquarters reported that journalists besieged the office in expectation of Umar-Farouq’s arrival.
It was reported that the EFCC invited the former minister to answer questions concerning an ongoing investigation into an alleged ₦37.1bn fraud uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
N37.1bn Fraud: Buhari’s Minister Shuns EFCC Invitation
