A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest against Sadiya Umar Farouq, former minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development, and Bashir Nura Alkali, a permanent secretary in the ministry.
The warrant was issued on Thursday by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie after the defendants failed to appear in court for their arraignment.
According to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouq and Alkali were absent in court, while the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present.
The trio are to be arraigned on a 21-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and conversion of public funds amounting to $1.3 million and N746.6 million.
One of the charges alleges that Farouq and Alkali, while in office between May 2021 and September 2022, were entrusted with $1.3 million but fraudulently converted the funds for personal use. The money was said to be excess payment meant to be refunded to the ministry by a contractor involved in the validation of beneficiaries under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that the defendants had initially not been served, despite the charge being filed since December 15, 2025.
He added that although their lawyers had promised to produce them, only the third defendant appeared after his surety was contacted.
UMAR TRAVELS TO SAUDI ARABIA
Jacobs further informed the court that Farouq had earlier written to the commission in 2024, stating that she was travelling to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, after which her passport was released to her.
“My lord, since that passport was released to her, she has not returned it to the commission, and we have not received any medical report from Saudi Arabia till date,” he said.
He also noted that medical documents recently submitted by her counsel were issued after the charges had already been filed.
Counsel to the first defendant, Abdul Ibrahim (SAN), told the court that his client’s absence was due to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit to that effect.
However, the court rejected the application.
Following the development, the court ordered the arrest of the first and second defendants to ensure their appearance for arraignment.