A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued the bench warrant on Thursday following the former minister’s failure to appear in court for her scheduled arraignment.
Also affected by the arrest order is the former Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, who similarly failed to present himself before the court to face a 21-count corruption charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The legal proceedings involve allegations of a massive financial scandal totaling approximately ₦1.3 billion. Specifically, the EFCC is accusing the officials of a criminal breach of trust and the fraudulent diversion of public funds.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants converted $1.3 million and ₦746.57 million through the suspicious award of government contracts. While the first two defendants were absent, the third defendant in the case, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in the courtroom for the day’s proceedings.
Central to the charges is an allegation that between May 2021 and September 2022, Farouq and Alkali diverted $1.3 million intended for the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office. This money was meant for the validation of beneficiaries under the Rapid Response Register. Investigators claim the funds were paid as “excess funds to Visual ICT Limited” and were never returned to the federal ministry as required by law.
During the hearing, EFCC lead counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, expressed frustration over the repeated delays in the case. He informed the court that although the charges were filed in December 2025, the former minister and the permanent secretary had consistently avoided appearing despite various assurances from their legal teams.
Jacobs reminded the court that Farouq had previously been allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia for medical care in 2024, but she had failed to return her passport or provide any official medical reports since that time.
The defense counsel, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, attempted to justify Farouq’s absence by citing ongoing health challenges. He tried to submit an affidavit to explain her condition and requested a six-week window to bring his client to court.
However, Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected the explanation and the filing, siding with the prosecution’s request to compel their appearance through a warrant. The judge subsequently adjourned the matter until May 18, 2026, for the formal arraignment and commencement of trial.
