A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Apo has issued an arrest warrant against a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, and a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The court issued the arrest warrant over their failure to attend court for their arraignment on a charge linking them to an alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and N746.6 million.
Farouq, who was in office from 2019 to 2023, supervised key social intervention programmes, including the National Social Investment Programme.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued the arrest warrant while ruling on Thursday on an ex-parte motion filed by the prosecution and moved by prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) after the two defendants failed to appear in court for their planned arraignment.
Before moving the motion, Jacobs applied for a slight amendment, to exclude the name of the third defendant, Sani Mohammed, who was present in court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has since last year, filed a 21-count charge against them, in which they are accused of offences bordering criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and diversion of public funds.
The EFCC claimed that the defendants were involved in the mismanagement and diversion of $1,300,000 and N746,574,303.
It accused Farouq and Alkali of converting $1.3 million meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited. The funds were said to be excess payments under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office programme for validating Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.
Jacobs said the charges were filed on December 15, 2025, but the first and second defendants have not been available for arraignment.
