Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq

On Thursday, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant for Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, due to her failure to appear in court to answer fraud charges. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed charges against her in December 2022, alleging that she diverted social security intervention funds during her time in office.

The court, presided over by Judge Jude Onwuegbuzi, noted that two defendants, including Umar-Farouq, failed to appear for arraignment, prompting the issuance of the arrest warrant. The EFCC's prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacob, highlighted that previous attempts to arraign the defendants had stalled due to their absence.

The allegations against Umar-Farouq stem from various fraud claims linked to social security programs, which were under scrutiny after President Bola Tinubu suspended these programs shortly after taking office in 2023.