Sadiya Umar Farouk, the former Minister of Social Development, Disaster Management, and Humanitarian Affairs, presented herself at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters to address allegations of fraud. This follows an ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of N37.10 billion during her tenure, with funds allegedly channeled through a contractor named James Okwete. Umar-Farouk voluntarily attended the EFCC’s interrogation session on Monday, January 8, confirming her presence via her official communication platform at around 10:20 am.
She stated,
“I have, at my behest, arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honor the invitation by the anti-graft agency to offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the commission is investigating,” Umar-Farouq tweeted on Monday morning.”
The former minister, who served during the administration of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, received an invitation from the anti-graft agency last week as part of an ongoing investigation into her conduct during her tenure in the ministry.
Previously, citing health concerns, the ex-minister formally requested an extension for her meeting with EFCC interrogators regarding the probe into the alleged N37.17 billion laundering during her term through the contractor Okwete.
In a prior communication on her official platform, the minister refuted allegations against her during her time in office. She explicitly denied any association with an individual named James Okwete, dismissing media reports linking her to him as baseless.
She stated, “James Okwete neither worked for me 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, I have contacted my Legal Team to explore possible options to seek redress for the malicious attack.”
