A High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq and former Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued the warrant on Thursday. The two defendants failed to appear for arraignment. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, filed the case. A third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.
The EFCC filed a 21-count charge against the trio. The charges include criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards and diversion of funds. The alleged fraud involves $1.3 million and N746.6 million. The EFCC said the funds were diverted from the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry. The commission said the alleged acts took place in Abuja between May 8, 2021, and September 22, 2022.
According to the charge, the money was meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited. The EFCC said it was part of excess payments made under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office, NASSCO. The agency said the funds were tied to the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.
EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the charge was filed on December 15, 2025. He said the first and second defendants could not be produced earlier. He added that their lawyers had promised to present them in court. That, however, did not happen.
Jacobs also told the court that Farouq got her passport back in 2024 for a medical trip to Saudi Arabia. He said she had not returned the passport since then. He also said no medical report from that trip had been submitted to the commission. Jacobs further argued that the medical documents attached to an affidavit by her lawyer were issued after the charge had already been filed.
Counsel to the first defendant, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, told the court that Farouq was absent because of ill health. He urged the court to accept an affidavit of facts. The court rejected the application.
The judge then granted the EFCC’s request and issued a bench warrant against Farouq and Alkali. The case was adjourned for arraignment.
