EFCC charges 21-count fraud, abuse of office as defendants fail to appear in court; judge rejects health excuse, adjourns to May 18

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest against former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, over alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and ₦746.6 million.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie gave the order on Thursday after both defendants failed to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment. Only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present.

The trio are to face a 21-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and diversion of public funds.

According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly misappropriated $1.3 million meant to be refunded to the ministry by a contractor, Visual ICT Limited, under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) project. The funds were reportedly excess payments for the validation of beneficiaries under the Rapid Response Register.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that the charges had been filed since December 2025, but the commission initially struggled to serve the defendants. He noted that although they were eventually served, only the third defendant honoured the court process.

Jacobs further revealed that Farouq had earlier obtained permission to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2024 for medical treatment, after which her passport was released to her. However, he said she has neither returned the passport nor provided any medical report to justify her continued absence.

He also challenged fresh medical documents presented by her legal team, stating they were issued after the charges had already been filed and were not part of the initial approval for her trip.

Counsel to Farouq, Abdul Ibrahim (SAN), argued that his client’s absence was due to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit to that effect, but the court rejected the application. He subsequently requested six weeks to produce her in court.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Onwuegbuzie dismissed the defence request and granted the EFCC’s application for a bench warrant against both Farouq and Alkali, citing their failure to appear despite being served.

The case has been adjourned to May 18, 2026, for arraignment and commencement of trial.