Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has distanced herself from reports linking her to a purported investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the activities of James Okwete, who was recently arrested by the commission.
  
The EFCC had arrested Okwete on December 25 in connection with an ongoing probe into a total sum of N37 billion allegedly laundered by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development under Umar-Farouk.
  
Umar-Farouk, in a statement personally signed by her, yesterday, in Abuja said Okwete neither worked for, nor represented her in any way whatsoever, describing the linkages and associations to her person as spurious.  
  
The statement reads: “There have been a number of reports linking me to a purported investigation by the EFCC 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.”
  
Recall that Okwete’s arrest coincides with the probe of three other ministers, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, for graft estimated at N150 billion.
  
The contractor allegedly transferred N6,746,034,000.00 to Bureau De Change Operators, withdrew N540,000,000.00 in cash, purchased luxury cars with N288,348,600.00, and bought luxury houses in Abuja and Enugu State with N2,195,115,000.00.
  
Fifty-three companies were allegedly traced to Okwete, who was also said to have used 47 companies to lift Federal Government contracts amounting to N27,423,824,339.86. He is also linked with 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks of which 134 are corporate accounts linked to different companies.
It is gathered that Okwete has made useful statements concerning Umar-Farouk and former directors-general of the ministry.
  
Meanwhile, there are reports that Umar-Farouk and some former agencies’ directors-general under the ministry might be arrested by EFCC following the details of the financial misappropriation so far revealed to investigators by the contractor.