Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Former Minister Sadiya Farouq and Permanent Secretary Bashir Alkali
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest for former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, after they failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had planned to bring the pair before the court on a 21-count charge involving alleged breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and conversion of public funds totaling $1,300,000 and N746,574,303. Only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, appeared in court.
According to the prosecution, the charges stem from an alleged misappropriation of funds meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited—excess payments made under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for beneficiary validation in the Rapid Response Register programme.
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the charge was filed on December 15, 2025, but the first and second defendants could not be served or produced in court despite promises from their legal representatives. He added that while the third defendant had reported to the commission, Farouq and Alkali had not.
Jacobs further alleged that Farouq had been granted permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for a medical check-up in 2024, after which she failed to return her passport to the commission. He noted that no medical reports were provided to substantiate her claimed illness, and reports submitted later were dated after the charge had been filed.
Farouq’s counsel, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, maintained that her absence was due to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit of fact, which the court rejected. The defence also requested six weeks to produce the first defendant in court.
In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the EFCC’s application for a bench warrant against Farouq and Alkali, adjourning the matter until May 18, 2026, for arraignment and trial.
The case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting ongoing anti-corruption efforts within Nigeria’s public sector and raising questions about accountability at senior government levels.
