The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar-Farouq, for questioning over allegations of corruption in the handling of N37.1 billion social intervention funds during her tenure.
Mrs. Umar-Farouq arrived at the headquarters of the Commission in Abuja to honour an earlier invitation over the pending case yesterday morning.
She posted via her X handle at 10.17 a.m. on Monday that she had just arrived at the commission’s office.
“I have, at my behest, arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency to offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the commission is investigating”, she tweeted. EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, similarly confirmed the development.
The on-going investigation by the EFCC revolves around the staggering sum of N37.1 billion (N37,170,855,753.44) allegedly laundered by officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development then led by Mrs Umar-Farouk as the minister.
The EFCC had earlier grilled Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) being supervised by the ministry.
The Commission detained Mrs. Shehu after raiding NSIPA’s office in the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, on 2 January. She was held for questioning till the following day when she was released on bail.
Mrs. Shehu, who was recently suspended by President Bola Tinubu, was responsible for overseeing the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. She was replaced with Akindele Egbuwalo, in an acting capacity.
The EFCC also summoned Mrs. Umar-Farouk for questioning over the case, but she requested a rescheduling of the appointment.
The school-feeding component of the social intervention programmes overseen by the ministry has been enmeshed in corruption allegations for a while now.
In September 2020, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said its investigations revealed a diversion of N2.67 billion meant for school feeding during the Covid-19-induced lockdown. Then ICPC chairperson, Bolaji Owasanoye, stated that the said fund was allegedly diverted into private accounts.
Mrs. Umar-Farouk’s successor, Betta Edu, is also caught in a web of a fresh scandal involving N585.2 million.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement issued on Sunday, said that the Federal Government was investigating the scandal.
