By Our Reporter
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued a warrant for the arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, over alleged fraud.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie also ordered the arrest of a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The court’s decision followed the failure of both defendants to appear for arraignment on a 21-count charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges include criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and the alleged diversion of public funds amounting to about $1.3 million and over ₦746 million.
At the hearing, only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.
Prosecution counsel, Mr. 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 further disclosed that efforts to serve them had been unsuccessful, as they were allegedly evasive.
According to the EFCC, the former minister had earlier obtained permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment and was granted the release of her international passport. However, the agency said she had neither returned the passport nor submitted any medical report since the trip.
In response, defence counsel, Mr. Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, argued that Farouq’s absence was due to ill health and sought to rely on an affidavit submitted to that effect. The court, however, declined to accept the affidavit.
The EFCC subsequently urged the court to issue a bench warrant to compel the appearance of the two defendants, stressing that they had failed to honour the conditions of their bail.
Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the application and ordered their arrest, adjourning the case to May 18 for arraignment.
Farouq, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, is accused, alongside Alkali, of diverting funds meant for government programmes, including those under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).