N37b fraud: Umar-Farouq cites health challenges for failure to meet EFCC

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has cited health challenges as the reason for her failure to honour an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N37.1 billion theft.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement disclosed that Umar-Farouq requested an extension from the commission to meet over an ongoing probe into the alleged laundering during her tenure which involved contractor, James Okwete.

Oyewale said she has already sent a legal representative to the commission and has written to the EFCC seeking to ask for more time to honour the invitation.

“The former Humanitarian Minister didn’t appear before the commission yesterday (Wednesday) but she sent in a letter pleading for more time,” he said.

“She also explained that she has some health challenges and that was why she couldn’t honour the invitation. She also sent in her lawyer to meet with interrogators.

“However, the commission has mandated her to submit herself to the commission without further delay.

“We are still tracing all the transactions, hence we cannot put a figure to everything now as the investigation is still ongoing.”

Last week, the former minister was invited by the anti-graft agency following a probe that was launched into her activities in the ministry when she held sway.

The planned interrogation of the former minister followed the immediate suspension of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.