Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued a warrant of arrest for the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and the ministry’s former Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The order was handed down on Thursday, April 16, 2026, after the duo failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment on a 21-count charge involving a breach of trust and the alleged fraudulent conversion of public funds.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Farouq and Alkali, alongside a third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, for the alleged misappropriation of $1,300,000 (One Million, Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars), N746,574,303 (Seven Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand Naira).
The prosecution alleges that between May 2021 and September 2022, the officials converted funds intended for the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO). Specifically, the money was meant to be refunded to the ministry by a private firm, Visual ICT Limited, following the validation of “Rapid Response Register” beneficiaries.
During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, expressed frustration over the defendants’ absence. He revealed that the charge had been filed since December 2025, yet the first and second defendants have consistently evaded court appearances.
In 2024, the EFCC released Farouq’s passport for a medical check-up in Saudi Arabia. According to Jacobs, she has failed to return the passport or provide any medical reports from that trip.
While defense counsel Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, filed an “affidavit of fact” claiming Farouq was currently too ill to attend, the court rejected the application, noting that the attached medical reports were only obtained after criminal charges were already filed.
“The first and second defendants were granted bail but failed to report back… It is imperative for this honourable court to permit the Commission to arrest them so they can be compelled to appear,” Jacobs argued.
Although the defense pleaded for a six-week grace period to produce the former Minister, Justice Onwuegbuzie denied the request.
The judge formally issued the arrest warrant and adjourned the case until May 18, 2026, for arraignment and trial. Only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court for Thursday’s session.
The EFCC has been authorized to track down and arrest Farouq and Alkali to ensure they face the corruption charges preferred against them.
