Court orders arrest of ex-minister, perm secretary

Nkereuwem Effiong

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

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the order on Thursday, 16 April 2026, after both defendants failed to appear in court for their arraignment. Only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present.

The trio are facing 21 counts filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards and the alleged diversion of public funds.

According to the charge, Farouq and Alkali allegedly misappropriated $1.3 million between May 2021 and September 2022. The funds were said to be excess payments made by the ministry under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries. They were meant to be refunded by a contractor.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that although the charges were filed on 15 December 2025, the first and second defendants could not initially be served. He added that despite assurances from their lawyers, they failed to appear in court.

Jacobs further informed the court that Farouq had earlier requested the release of her passport in 2024 for a medical trip to Saudi Arabia, but had yet to return it. He noted that no medical report had been submitted to justify her continued absence, adding that documents recently presented by her counsel were dated after the charges were filed.

Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said counsel to the first defendant, Abdul Ibrahim (SAN), attributed her absence to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit to that effect. However, the court rejected the application.

The prosecution also applied to amend an earlier ex parte motion and urged the court to issue a bench warrant against the absent defendants, noting that they had been granted bail but failed to report as required.

Defence counsel, in response, asked the court for six weeks to produce the first defendant.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the prosecution’s application and issued a warrant of arrest against Farouq and Alkali. He subsequently adjourned the case to 18 May 2026 for arraignment and trial.