Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has issued a warrant of arrest against a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The court issued the arrest warrant following their failure to appear for arraignment on charges linking them to an alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and ₦746.6 million.
Mrs. Farouq, who served from 2019 to 2023, supervised key social intervention programmes, including the National Social Investment Programme.
Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the order while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), after the two defendants failed to attend court for their scheduled arraignment.
Before moving the motion, Jacobs sought and obtained leave of the court to amend the charge by removing the name of the third defendant, Sani Mohammed, who was present in court.
The EFCC filed a 21-count charge against the defendants, bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and diversion of public funds.
According to the commission, the defendants were involved in the alleged mismanagement and diversion of $1,300,000 and ₦746,574,303.
The EFCC further alleged that Farouq and Alkali converted $1.3 million meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited. The funds were said to be excess payments under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office programme for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.
Jacobs informed the court that although the charges were filed on December 15, 2025, the first and second defendants had failed to present themselves for arraignment. He added that their lawyers had previously assured the court of producing them but did not fulfil that undertaking.
The prosecutor also told the court that Farouq travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2024 for medical treatment after her passport was released by the commission but has yet to return it or submit a medical report.
He noted that the medical documents later presented by her legal team were issued after the charges had already been filed.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdul Ibrahim, however, maintained that the ex-minister’s absence was due to ill health.
Justice Onwuegbuzie subsequently adjourned the matter to May 18 for arraignment.
