A court in Abuja has upheld an arrest warrant against former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, over alleged fraud involving $1.3m and N746.7m.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Apo and presided over by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, ruled on Monday that the bench warrant issued on April 16, 2026, would remain in force after the former minister failed to appear in court.
Farouq is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alongside Bashir Nura Alkali and Sani Nafiu Mohammed on charges including criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds. At the hearing, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the case was scheduled for arraignment but the first defendant was absent without explanation.
“My expectation this morning will be for my colleague to say that the client he promised to produce is in court today, but alas, he did not do so,” Jacobs told the court, urging the judge to enforce an earlier undertaking by the defence to produce the former minister.
Defence counsel, Oladipo Okpesheyi, told the court his client was in Egypt receiving medical treatment. “She is in Egypt… her doctor said she is not medically fit to appear today,” he said, adding that she would need about two months to recover and requesting an adjournment.
However, Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected what he described as repeated delays. “I will not tolerate unnecessary adjournment in my court,” he said, ordering a short adjournment and insisting the defendant must be produced at the next hearing. The case was adjourned to June 8, 2026, for arraignment, with the arrest warrant remaining active.
