Eight former ministers who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari have been invited for questioning regarding allegations of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to reliable sources, the former ministers have been asked to clarify how funds allocated to their respective ministries were utilized for specific projects during their tenure. The investigations aim to shed light on possible instances of misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds.
Daily Trust reports that the letter were extended to the former ministers before the suspension of Abdulrasheed Bawa as chairman of the commission. The anti-graft agency had commenced investigations.
The source said apart from the former minister of Women’s Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who was invited last week over alleged N2bn fraud and “part of the money allegedly diverted from the African First Lady Peace Mission Project,” about seven others have also been invited.
It would be recalled that Sale Mamman, also a former ministers of power under former president Buhari, was last month arrested and detained by the commission in connection with an alleged N22 billion fraud related to power projects.
Also, it was learnt that the immediate past minister of police affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has also been summoned over how the Police Trust Fund was handled.
Speaking further on condition of anonymity, the source said Dingyadi would provide answers to allegations of purchasing refurbished vehicles for the Nigeria Police as new.
“Well, I’m not aware of the letter, I’ve not seen it. Maybe they sent it to the office, I will inquire from the office”, the minister of police affairs, Dingyadi, said in a phone conversation with the aforementioned platform.
The former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and the immediate past Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, were also invited by the anti-graft agency.