The contractor James Okwete has been taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).The arrest is related to the continuing investigation into the N37 billion that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development—which was led by former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk—is accused of laundering.
The investigation into three other ministers who worked under former President Muhammadu Buhari for suspected graft totaling N150 billion is ongoing at the same time as Okwete's arrest.
The contractor allegedly gave N6,746,034,000.00 to Bureau De Change Operators, took N540,000,000.00 out of circulation, and used N288,348,600.00 to buy expensive automobiles and N2,195,115,000.00 to buy expensive mansions in Abuja and Enugu State.
Okwete was accused of using 53 firms to launder N27,423,824,339.86 in contracts from the Federal Government through the use of 47 other companies.
Additionally, he has connections to 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks, of which 134 are corporate accounts connected to various businesses.
It is understood that Okwete has provided insightful remarks about Umar-Farouk and the past ministry directors general.
In the meantime, there are rumors that the EFCC may detain Umar-Farouk and a few previous directors general of ministries under the ministry in response to the contractor's initial disclosure to investigators of the money misappropriation facts.