The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a warrant of arrest against the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, and a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, over an alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and N746.6 million.
Farouq, who served under the late President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023, supervised key social intervention programmes, including the National Social Investment Programme.
The warrant was issued on Thursday, April 16, by the trial judge Jude Onwuegbuzie, after the two defendants failed to appear in court for their arraignment.
The EFCC is prosecuting them alongside Sani Mohammed, who was present in court.
EFCC files 21-count charge
The anti-graft agency said it filed a 21-count charge against the accused, bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and diversion of public funds.
The commission alleged that the defendants were involved in the mismanagement and diversion of $1,300,000 and N746,574,303.
It specifically accused Farouq and Alkali of converting $1.3 million meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited. The funds were said to be excess payments under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office programme for validating Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.
According to the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, the charges were filed on December 15, 2025, but the commission could not proceed with the arraignment because the first and second defendants were not produced.
He said their lawyers had assured the court they would present them but failed to do so.
Jacobs also disclosed that Farouq travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2024 for medical treatment after her passport was released by the commission, but she has yet to return it or provide any medical report.
He added that medical documents later submitted by her legal team were issued after the charges had already been filed.
Defence cites ill health
The statement further noted that the counsel to the former minister, Abdul Ibrahim, attributed her absence to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit of facts.
It noted that the court rejected the application.
The EFCC said the court subsequently granted its request and issued a bench warrant to compel the defendants’ appearance, before adjourning the case for further proceedings.
The development came amid a widening anti-corruption probe targeting former cabinet members under the Buhari administration.
The EFCC had investigated former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over allegations linked to the handling of recovered assets and controversial financial transactions during his tenure.
Similarly, former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has also faced scrutiny over alleged procurement and contract-related issues, although no conviction has been secured in either case.
The ICIR reports that Tinubu’s government hardening posture against Malami mirrors the sustained legal fireworks on former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, another powerful figure from the Buhari administration, who has remained entangled in multiple criminal cases since his sack as CBN governor in June 2023 by Tinubu.
Several courts also ordered the final forfeiture of millions of dollars, shares, and several prime properties linked to Emefiele, including a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja, high-value properties in Ikoyi and Lekki, Lagos, and cash sums exceeding $2 million.
The former CBN governor is currently facing various charges ranging from abuse of office to procurement fraud and money laundering.
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