EFCC probes four Buhari ministers over multibillion naira fraud, makes arrest
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched investigations into an alleged multibillion naira fraud involving four ministers who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former ministers were said to have laundered over N187 billion in 143 bank accounts.
This is even as the EFCC has arrested a government contractor, James Okwete, in connection with the ongoing probe into the N37 billion allegedly laundered by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development under former Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.
A top EFCC official said the contractor had made useful statements concerning Umar-Farouk and former directors-general of the ministry.
“It is not only Umar-Farouk we are investigating. Three other former ministers are also under probe. They were allegedly involved in graft to the tune of N150 billion,” a credible source in the EFCC told Punch.
Sources said Umar-Farouk and some former agencies’ directors-general under the ministry might be arrested by the anti-graft commission following the details of the financial misappropriation so far revealed to investigators by the contractor.
Efforts to reach Umar-Farouk for her reactions on the allegations proved abortive as her media aide, Nneka Nkem, was also not available for comments.
‘’Okwete is associated with 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks in which 134 of the 143 accounts are corporate accounts linked to different companies,” the report stated.
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale declined comments. “I can’t speak on that, please,” Oyewale said.
