Court Orders Arrest Of Ex-Minister Farouq Over Alleged $1.3m Fraud

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, over alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and N746.6 million.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed details of the proceedings in a statement shared on its verified Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

The anti graft agency disclosed that Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie gave the order on Thursday, April 16, 2026, after the two defendants failed to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment.

The duo, alongside a third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, are facing a 21-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and diversion of public funds.

While Mohammed was present in court, Farouq and Alkali were absent.

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly diverted funds amounting to $1,300,000 and N746,574,303 meant for government programmes.

Part of the charge reads, “That you Sadiya Umar Farouq, while being Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and Bashir Nura Alkali, while being the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry… between 8 May 2021 and 22 September 2022, in Abuja… committed criminal breach of trust… when you fraudulently converted the said sum to your personal benefit… being excess funds paid by the Ministry under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO)… and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same section.”

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the defendants had consistently failed to present themselves despite being served.

“We could not arraign them on December 15 because we could not produce them, but their lawyers promised to produce them. We didn’t see them until your lordship ordered substituted service,” he said.

Jacobs further revealed that Farouq had earlier obtained permission to travel abroad for medical treatment but had not returned her travel documents.

“My lord, since that passport was released to her, she has not returned it to the Commission. We do not have any medical report from Saudi Arabia till date,” he stated.

He added that documents presented by the defence were obtained after the charges had already been filed.

“All the medical reports attached to the affidavit were issued after the charge had been filed. No medical report was shown to us for the approved journey,” Jacobs told the court.

Counsel to the first defendant, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, attributed his client’s absence to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit of facts, which the court rejected.

The prosecution subsequently applied for a bench warrant to compel the appearance of the first and second defendants.

“It is imperative… to permit the Commission to arrest the first and second defendants so that they can be compelled to appear before the court,” Jacobs argued.

In response, the defence requested six weeks to produce Farouq in court.

However, ruling on the applications, Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the prosecution’s request, issuing a warrant for the arrest of Farouq and Alkali.

The case was adjourned to May 18, 2026, for arraignment and trial.