Sadiya Umar-Farouq, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, is set to appear before investigators from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today.
The anti-graft agency’s probe is centered around an alleged N37 billion fraud linked to her tenure.
Last week, the EFCC extended an invitation to Farouq as part of their ongoing investigation into her ministry’s activities during the previous six years. The focus is on the laundering of N37,170,855,753.44, purportedly carried out by a contractor named James Okwete.
According to officials from the anti-graft agency, the former minister was instructed to appear at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, by 10:00 am.
Moreover, various officials who worked under her have been separately invited on different days to shed light on the ministry’s operations during the mentioned period.
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Last week, Farouq took to her X handle to refute the allegations, stating, “There have been a number of reports linking me to a purported investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into the activities of one James Okwete, someone completely unknown to me.
“James Okwete neither worked for, nor represented me in any way whatsoever. The linkages and associations to my person are spurious. While I resist the urge to engage in any media trial whatsoever, I have however contacted my legal team to explore possible options to seek redress on the malicious attack on my person.
“I remain proud to have served my country as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with every sense of responsibility and would defend my actions, stewardship and programmes during my tenure whenever I am called upon to do so,” she concluded.