Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has issued an apology to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for her failure to appear before the commission to address queries regarding an alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure.
The former minister was summoned to explain at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, on January 3, 2024, concerning the alleged fraudulent activities under her leadership.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that Farouq expressed her inability to immediately comply with the commission’s request, citing reasons she is presently indisposed. Despite this, the EFCC has emphatically instructed her to honour the invitation without further delay, he noted.
The investigation revolves around suspected financial improprieties amounting to N37.1 billion, purportedly laundered during her tenure through a contractor named James Okwete.
This development follows the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to unravel financial irregularities within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.