Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will today face the detectives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud to the tune of N37 billion.
The anti-graft agency invited the former minister last week following a probe launched into her ministry activities when she held sway over the previous six years.
She was being probed over N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered under her watch by a contractor, James Okwete.
Officials of the anti-graft agency told Daily Trust on Tuesday that the former minister had earlier been asked to appear before interrogators at the EFCC headquarters at Jabi, Abuja, by 10:00 am.
The operatives explained that some other officials who worked with her had been invited for different days to provide insight into how the ministry’s affairs had been run in the last six years.
The former minister tweeted on her X handle last week Monday that she was not involved in any fraudulent activities while she held sway as supervisor of the humanitarian ministry.
She had said, “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.”