Our Team Is On Standby- Buhari’s Minister Gets Deadline To Appear, Risks Serious Action From EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has insisted that the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, must appear at their Abuja headquarters for questioning regarding the alleged laundering of N37,170,855,753.44 during her tenure.
Despite the ex-minister citing health challenges and requesting a three-week extension through her counsel, the commission has given her a three-day ultimatum to appear or risk being declared wanted.
In a letter to the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Umar-Farouq formally communicated her health-related incapacitation. However, the commission, under Olukoyede’s new system, emphasized the promptness of their investigations, assuring that individuals could appear before EFCC detectives and return home the same day.
An anonymous source revealed, “Olukoyede has put a new system in place such that you can appear before EFCC detectives and sleep in your home the same day. There is no need to panic at all. We are expecting her; our team is on standby. Even if she requires medical help, we will avail her of our first-class facility.”
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed the ex-minister’s letter, stating, “We got a letter from the ex-minister that she could not honour our invitation due to some health challenges. Since her lawyer brought the letter, the EFCC has also responded accordingly.”
The EFCC letter to Umar-Farouq requested her to report for an interview on January 3, 2024, at 10 am, citing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Oyewale clarified the situation, mentioning that the N37.1 billion figure might not be accurate, as the investigation is ongoing. He stated, “On the figure that is being bandied about, 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.”
Regarding the interrogation of the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, Oyewale stated, “She has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her.”
