The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, to respond to inquiries over a purported N37.1 billion scam that transpired during her tenure. However, she declined the request.
Umar-Farouq, who departed from his position in 2023, was supposed to meet with investigators on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the EFCC offices in Jabi, Abuja. But after more than eight hours of waiting, she did not appear, and she provided no formal justification for her absence.
According to documents, the invitation was connected to an ongoing investigation into claims that, while Umar-Farouq was in government, N37.1 billion had been laundered through a contractor named James Okwete.
The interrogation team was forced to end their day at 6:00 p.m. when it became apparent that the former minister would not be showing up, according to an anonymous EFCC source.
It’s now 6 p.m., and we just ended work because she didn’t show here today. She will most definitely not come up today, the source was quoted as saying.
