N37billion Fraud: Ex-President Buhari Minister, Sadiya Farouq to Appear Before EFCC Today

Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the former minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will face EFCC detectives today on allegations of N37 billion fraud.

The anti-graft agency invited the former minister last week as a result of an investigation into her actions in the ministry during the previous six years of her leadership.

The amount of N37,170,855,753.44, which was purportedly laundered under her supervision through a contractor named James Okwete, was the subject of her investigation.

The former minister was earlier invited to appear before interrogators at the EFCC headquarters located in Jabi, Abuja, by 10:00am, officials of the anti-graft agency told Daily Trust on Tuesday.

The agents clarified that a few other officials who collaborated with her had also been asked on different days to offer an understanding of how the ministry’s operations were conducted over the previous six years.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered Halima Shehu’s immediate suspension from her roles as National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), according to a report published by Gistlover on Tuesday.

Akindele Egbuwalo, the national N-Power program manager, took Ms. Halima’s post in an acting capacity while Tinubu launched a probe into the actions of the troubled former agency director.

NSIPA, which is responsible for managing critical programmes like N-Power and Conditional Cash Transfer, has been under scrutiny in recent times, with concerns raised about efficiency and effectiveness.

Former Minister Sadiya had last week Monday tweeted on her X handle 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”, she had stressed.