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Court orders arrest of ex-Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq over ₦1.7bn fraud charges
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has issued a warrant for the arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, over her failure to appear in court for arraignment on corruption-related charges.
Also affected by the warrant is Bashir Nura Alkali, a permanent secretary in the ministry, who was also scheduled for arraignment but failed to appear.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the defendants are facing a 21-count charge bordering on breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and alleged diversion of public funds totalling about $1.3 million and ₦746.5 million.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that only a third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court when the matter was called.
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that efforts to produce the defendants had failed despite earlier assurances from their lawyers.
Jacobs also alleged that Umar-Farouq had earlier been granted permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for medical reasons but had failed to return her passport or provide proper medical documentation to the EFCC.
Counsel to the former minister, Abdul Ibrahim, informed the court that her absence was due to ill health and urged the court to accept an affidavit of facts, but the request was rejected.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Onwuegbuzie ordered the arrest of Umar-Farouq and Bashir Nura Alkali, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing trial.
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