By Halimah Olamide
Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umaru-Farouk, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that health challenge was the reason she failed to show up at the office of the commission as summoned on Wednesday.
NPO Reports that the former Minister was asked to report at the office of the commission on Wednesday to brief EFCC investigators over issues relating to some illegal transfer of funds to some accounts from the funds allocated for her ministry.
Umaru-Farouk is being probed over a N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered during her tenure in office, through a contractor, James Okwete. Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr. Dele Oyewale said Umar had sent a legal representative to the commission and has written to the commission seeking to be given more time to honour the invitation while citing health challenges.
Oyewale said, “The former Humanitarian Minister didn’t appear before the commission yesterday, but she sent in a letter pleading for more time and also explaining that she has some health challenges and that was why she couldn’t honour the invitation. She also sent in her lawyer to meet with interrogators.
“However, the commission has mandated her to submit herself to the commission without further delay. We are still tracing all the transactions, hence we cannot put a figure to everything now as the investigation is still ongoing.”