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 a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The court issued the arrest warrant over their failure to attend court for their arraignment on a charge linking them to an alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and N746.6 million.
Mrs Farouq, who was in office from 2019 to 2023, supervised key social intervention programmes, including the National Social Investment Programme.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued the arrest warrant while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), after the two defendants failed to appear in court for their planned arraignment.
Before moving the motion, Jacobs applied for a slight amendment to exclude the name of the third defendant, Sani Mohammed, who was present in court.
The EFCC had filed a 21-count charge against them, in which they are accused of offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and diversion of public funds.
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The EFCC claimed that the defendants were involved in the mismanagement and diversion of $1,300,000 and N746,574,303.
The commission accused Farouq and Alkali of converting $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 validating Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.
Counsel to the EFCC said the charges were filed on December 15, 2025, but the first and second defendants have not been available for arraignment.
He said their lawyers had assured the court they would present them but failed to do so.
The senior lawyer also disclosed that Farouq travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2024 for medical treatment after her passport was released by the commission, but she has yet to return it or provide any medical report.
He added that medical documents later submitted by her legal team were issued after the charges had already been filed.
Lawyer to the defendants, Abdul Ibrahim, said the ex-minister was absent on grounds of ill health.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie subsequently adjourned the case to May 18 for arraignment.
