Buhari’s Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouq Shuns EFCC Invitation Over N37 Billion Fraud

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.

VerseNews reports that the former Minister was expected to appear before EFCC interrogators at the Commission’s head office on Wednesday around 10:00 am in Abuja.

An EFCC source who spoke anonymously said 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 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,” the source said.

The development comes barely 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu, the national coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, over her involvement in the fraud.

Consequently, Halima Shehu was arrested by EFCC.