Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,and wife of former Chief Of Air Staff 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.
It was learnt 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.
It was 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.
Journalists who besieged the EFCC in expectation of the ex-minister’s visitation, were disappointed.
An EFCC investigator, who spoke 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
Sadiya is the wife of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar Sadiq rtd, the APC Gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election in Bauchi State