A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has ordered the arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, over alleged fraud.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie also issued a warrant for the arrest of a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The decision followed the failure of both defendants to appear in court to answer a 21-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charges include criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, and the alleged diversion of public funds amounting to about $1.3 million and over ₦746 million.
At Thursday’s hearing, only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.
Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that despite being granted administrative bail, the first and second defendants had failed to make themselves available for arraignment. He added that efforts to serve them had been unsuccessful, even though their lawyers had earlier indicated they would appear.
Jacobs further informed the court that Farouq had previously obtained permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment and was allowed to travel with her international passport. However, he said she has neither returned the passport nor provided any medical report since.
In response, defence counsel Abdul Ibrahim (SAN) argued that his client’s absence was due to ill health and sought to rely on an affidavit to that effect. The court, however, declined to entertain the submission.
The EFCC then urged the court to grant a bench warrant to compel the defendants’ appearance, stating that they had failed to honour the terms of their bail.
Despite the defence’s request for more time, Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled in favour of the prosecution and ordered the immediate arrest of the two defendants.
The case has been adjourned until May 18 for their arraignment.
Farouq, who was appointed minister in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is accused of mismanaging funds linked to the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), including payments made for the validation of beneficiaries under a federal programme.
