Why I did not honour EFCC’s invitation – Ex-minister

A former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), apologising for failing to appear before the commission to answer questions on the alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure.

The spokesman of the commission Dele Oyewale said in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that the former minister wrote to the anti-graft, explaining that she is not disposed for now to appear before the commission.

Oyewale explained that the former minister in the letter said that she couldn’t honour the invitation because she was indisposed due to health challenges.

Read Also: South African billionaire dethrones Dangote as Africa’s richest man

”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 invitation, she actually gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up

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

Oyewale said the commission had considered her plea, and expected that she would honour the invitation without further delay

He said that there might not be any reason for her arrest as she had done the needful through her lawyer.

”The position of the commission is that she should turn herself in without further delay.”

He also explained that the N37.1 billion being branded might not be a correct figure of the money misappropriated by the ministry

Read Also: JUST IN: EFCC operatives conduct search at Dangote head office over FX deal

”On the figure that is being branded, 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 said.

The spokesman also said that the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, (NSIPA) Halima Shehu, 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 investigation.

Read Also: Climate change: NAGGW committed to improving livelihoods of affected communities – DG

She was arrested in connection with the ongoing probe of the humanitarian affairs ministry.

“She was the National Coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the Ministry during Buhari’s tenure, and she has been queried over some of the money that left the ministry’s coffers through her.’’