Alleged N37bn fraud: EFCC says Umar-Farouk didn’t snub invitation, releases NSIPA coordinator

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said on Thursday the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, did not shun its invitation contrary to claims in the media.

The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who spoke with journalists on Thursday in Abuja, said the former minister sent a letter that she could not honour the invitation due to health challenges.

Last week, the commission invited Umar-Farouk over an alleged N37 billion fraud in the ministry.

The EFCC alleged that a contractor, James Okwete, laundered the funds on behalf of the politician appointed as minister by former President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday suspended the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) Halima Shehu, over her alleged involvement in the fraud.

The coordinator was arrested by the EFCC the same day.

Oyewale said: “It is true that 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 EFCC’s invitation. She gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up

READ ALSO: Alleged N37bn fraud: Buhari’s minister, Umar-Farouk snubs EFCC invitation

”Her lawyer was also at the commission to brief the anti-graft agency of why she couldn’t come or honour the invitation.”

The spokesman said the commission had considered the ex-minister’s plea, and expected that she would honour the invitation without further delay.

He stressed that the N37.1 billion reported in the media might not be a correct figure of the money misappropriated by the ministry.

“The commission’s position is that she should turn herself in without further delay.

”On the figure that is being brandied, 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 added.

The spokesman also said that the NSIPA coordinator has been released.

“Shehu who was arrested on Tuesday has been released and directed to be coming 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 ex-President Buhari’s tenure, and she has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her,” Oyewale concluded.

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