Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, risks arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following her failure, on Wednesday, to honour an invitation by the anti-graft agency.
The PUNCH reports that the EFCC wrote Umar Farouq to appear for questioning in furtherance of an ongoing probe into an alleged N37.1bn fraud during her tenure in office.
According to the EFCC, the alleged fraud was perpetrated through a contractor, James Okwete.
Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that Umar Farouq, who was scheduled to appear at 10 am at the anti-graft agency’s Abuja headquarters, failed to show up and kept interrogators waiting for over eight hours without an official communication as to why she could not honour the invitation.
Our correspondent, who was at the EFCC headquarters from 9 am and left at about 6:30 pm on Wednesday, did not see Umar-Farouk.
Other journalists, who besieged the EFCC in expectation of the ex-minister’s visitation, were disappointed.
An EFCC investigator, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, revealed that the interrogation team had to retire from work at about 6 pm when they were certain that the former minister was not going to show up on Wednesday.
“We just closed from work now because she didn’t show up today, and it’s 6 pm already. It’s certain that she’s never going to show up today,” the investigator said.
An impeccable senior official of the anti-graft agency said Umar Farouq might be arrested by operatives of the EFCC within the week if she fails to voluntarily appear before investigators at the EFCC’s Headquarters as officially requested by the commission.
“Hajia Sadiya didn’t show up at our office today for interrogation. In fact, she kept interrogators waiting for hours. Meanwhile, our operatives may arrest her this week and bring her in for questioning if she fails to show up tomorrow,” the official said.
The ex-minister could not be reached for comments on Wednesday. Also, when contacted, Umar Farouq’s former media aide, Nnaka Ikem, did not respond to phone calls and text messages from our correspondent.
CSOs demand arrest
Meanwhile, civil society organisations called for the ex-minister’s arrest.
In an interview with our correspondent, Executive Director, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Friday Odeh said, “It’s unfortunate that citizens are not equal in Nigeria. However, since the former minister had failed to honour the EFCC invite, we urge the agency to arrest and bring her into custody as legally expected.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran said, “We urge the EFCC not to falter in its investigation of the former Minister. Also, we urge the commission to bring every corrupt public official to book.”
Meanwhile, embattled National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, who was arrested and detained by EFCC operatives, has spent a second night in detention.
Our correspondent gathered that Shehu, being the person who was formerly in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme during Umar-Farouk’s tenure, was also arrested over the ongoing N27.1bn fraud probe.
The PUNCH exclusively gathered that EFCC operatives stormed NSIPA’s office at the Federal Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, and drove Mrs Shehu to the EFCC Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja at about 9 pm, where she’s currently being detained and interrogated.
Though NSIPA has yet to make an official statement following her arrest, impeccable senior anti-graft sources who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity revealed that Shehu was indicted in connection with the alleged 37.1bn fraud as the former National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the ministry.
