Alleged N37bn Fraud: EFCC Investigators Go After Former Minister, Farouq Sadiya

Indications have emerged that investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are now after Umar-Farouq Sadiya, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, over an alleged N37.1 billion fraud.

A top EFCC source confirmed this to Channels Television in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, January 3.

Umar-Farouq held a ministerial position under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 to May 29, 2023.

The former minister had been invited by the anti-graft agency following an investigation that was launched into her tenure in the ministry.

She was the subject of an investigation over N37.1 billion that was purportedly laundered when she was in charge through a contractor named James Okwete.

A week later, the former minister received an invite to appear before interrogators at the EFCC headquarters located at Jabi, Abuja, by 10:00 am.

According to the source, she is yet to honour the invite and some other officials who served under her had also been invited to provide more information into how the affairs of the ministry were run in the last four years.