Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Minister Sadiya Farouq and Alkali

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and former Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali. They are charged with 21 counts of financial crimes, including breach of trust and fraudulently converting public funds amounting to $1.3 million (N746,574,303).

The charges stem from their tenure in office between May 8, 2021, and September 22, 2022. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the charges on December 15, 2025, but the defendants failed to appear in court, prompting the judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzi, to issue a bench warrant for their arrest.

The court was informed that Farouq had written to the EFCC, stating she was undergoing medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, but no medical report was provided. The case has been adjourned until May 18, 2026, for arraignment.