The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why Mrs Sadiya Umar-Farouq did not honour its invitation over the ongoing investigation into N37.1 billion fraud allegedly perpetrated while she was the minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development in the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The former minister was expected to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, operatives on Wednesday but failed to show up at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that
Umar-Farouq sent a letter to the commission that she couldn’t honour the invitation because of health challenges.
”Indeed, she didn’t show up but she sent a letter pleading for more time explaining that she had some health challenges.
”She didn’t shun the EFCC invitation, she actually gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up.
”Her lawyer was also at the commission to brief the anti-graft agency on why she couldn’t come or honour the invitation,” the EFCC spokesman added.
Oyewale said the commission had considered her plea, and expected that she would honour the invitation without further delay.
He said that there might not be any reason for her arrest as she had done the needful through her lawyer.
”The position of the commission is that she should turn herself in without further delay.”
He also explained that the N37.1 billion being bandied in the media might not be a correct figure of the money misappropriated by the ministry.
”On the figure that is being bandied, I cannot categorically confirm the figure because it is an ongoing thing, We are still tracing all the transactions here and there, it may be more than that.
”We can’t publish a figure now until we finish the tracking and it may be more than what is being brandished now,” he said.
The EFCC spokesman also said that the sacked national coordinator and chief executive officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, (NSIPA) Halima Shehu, who was arrested in connection with the alleged multibillion naira fraud had been released.
Shehu who was arrested on Tuesday, has been released and directed to report to the EFCC office for interrogation until the end of the investigation.
“She was the national coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the ministry during Buhari’s tenure, and she has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her.”
Earlier, the EFCC had summoned a contractor, James Okwete, over the alleged fraud.
