ALLEGED $1.3M FRAUD: Court rejects ex-minister Sadiya Farouq’s bid to stop arrest
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday dismissed an application by Sadiya Umar Farouq, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, seeking to set aside a bench warrant issued for her arrest.
The former minister, alongside Bashir Nura Alikali and Sani Nafiu Muhammed, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $1.3 million and ₦746.7 million criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.
Delivering his ruling, presiding Judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, reprimanded the former minister for her continued absence, stating she had willfully failed to appear in court without any valid justification.
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Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected the medical grounds presented by Farouq’s legal team, pointing out that the law empowers the court to issue an arrest warrant once a defendant deliberately avoids trial.
“There is nothing in the exhibit explaining why the defendant, who has mere arthritis and heart disease, cannot appear before the court. Is it that there are no medical facilities in Nigeria?” Justice Onwuegbuzie queried.
“I am convinced that the 1st defendant is trying to hide behind her fingers by raising bogus excuses. It is important that the applicant be reminded that this is a criminal matter and not a civil one… By all legal considerations, I am of the opinion that there is no merit in this application, I so hold.”
EFCC vows to enforce arrest
Reacting to the ruling, the lead prosecution counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), commended the court for a well-considered judgment.
Jacobs reminded the court of an earlier undertaking made by the defense counsel, A.A. Ibrahim (SAN), promising to produce the former minister in court. He noted that a medical report previously submitted by the defense only requested a six-to-eight-week grace period, which had already expired on June 9, 2026.
“We crave your lordship to give effect to that undertaking by A.A. Ibrahim, SAN, to produce the defendant,” Jacobs argued. “On our part, we have decided to give effect to the arrest of the first defendant. We also ask the counsel to the first defendant to cooperate and produce his client on the next adjournment to avoid a coercive power.”
The setback for the ex-minister comes a week after she approached the court to vacate the arrest warrant. The court had originally granted the EFCC leave to arrest and arraign Farouq on April 16, 2026, alongside her co-accused, Messrs. Alkali and Mohammed.
While the second and third defendants complied and appeared in court, the former minister failed to show up, prompting the issuance of the bench warrant.
Justice Onwuegbuzie has adjourned the matter to July 2, 2026, for the official arraignment of the defendants.
