A Federal Capital Territory High Court issued a bench warrant on Thursday, 16 April 2026, ordering the arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq and former Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali. The warrant follows their non‑appearance at an arraignment for a 21‑count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie instructed that both officials be taken into custody and presented before the court after they failed to attend despite being formally served with the charges. Only the third accused, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present at the hearing.
The prosecution alleges that Farouq and Alkali engaged in criminal breach of trust, abuse of office and the fraudulent award of contracts, diverting public funds estimated at $1.3 million and N746.57 million. One count specifies that between 8 May 2021 and 22 September 2022 the two officials allegedly misappropriated $1.3 million intended for validating beneficiaries of the Rapid Response Register under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO). The money was reportedly paid as excess funds to Visual ICT Limited and was supposed to be returned to the ministry. EFCC senior counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) told the court that the charges were filed on 15 December 2025, yet the first and second defendants have not appeared, despite repeated assurances from their lawyers. Jacobs noted that Farouq had previously been granted permission, but the statement was cut short in the record.
The court's directive now mandates that law enforcement locate and produce Farouq and Alkali, after which the case will proceed to trial on the outlined charges.
The bench warrant against Farouq and Alkali signals the judiciary's intolerance for evasion of high‑profile corruption probes. Their continued absence threatens to delay the EFCC's effort to recover the $1.3 million allegedly siphoned from the NASSCO programme. Prompt enforcement of the warrant will be essential to preserve the credibility of Nigeria's anti‑corruption agenda.
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