Photo: Sadiya Umar-Farouq.
Alleged N37bn fraud: Ex-Minister shuns EFCC invitation
Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has snubbed an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to answer questions about an alleged N37.1 billion fraud that occurred during her tenure.
Umar-Farouq, who was minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023, was scheduled to appear before investigators at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, at 10:00 am on Wednesday.
However, despite waiting for over eight hours, she failed to show up and offered no official explanation for her absence.
Documents reveal that the invitation was linked to an ongoing investigation into the alleged laundering of N37.1 billion through a contractor, James Okwete, during Umar-Farouq’s time in office.
A source within the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the interrogation team had to conclude their day at 6:00 pm after it became clear that the former minister would not be arriving.
“We just closed from work now because she didn’t show up today, and it’s 6 pm already. It’s certain that she’s never going to show up today,” the source said.
