The legal woes of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, deepened on Monday, June 15, 2026, as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, summarily dismissed her application to vacate a bench warrant issued for her arrest.
Presiding Judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, ruled that the former minister had willfully absented herself from criminal proceedings without any valid legal justification, emphasizing that the court is fully empowered to issue arrest warrants when defendants intentionally evade arraignment.
Umar-Farouq, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Bashir Alkali (a former Permanent Secretary) and Sani Mohammed.
The trio faces a 21-count charge sheet bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, and the fraudulent conversion of public funds totaling $1.3 million and N746.7 million.
The anti-graft agency alleges that the $1.3 million represented excess funds meant for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) programme, which were diverted for personal enrichment between May 2021 and September 2022.
“The defendant, who is fully aware that this is a criminal proceeding, has willfully failed to appear in court without a valid reason," Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie ruled.
"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? 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... there is no merit in this application. I so hold.”
Following the ruling, the lead prosecutor for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to enforce an earlier undertaking made by the defense team to produce the first defendant.
Jacobs noted that the defense's claims that Umar-Farouq was receiving specialized medical care in Egypt were unsubstantiated and that the requested eight-week grace period had officially expired on June 9, 2026.
He stated that the EFCC is prepared to execute its coercive powers of arrest to ensure her presence. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to July 2, 2026, for the definitive arraignment of all the accused persons.
#SadiyaUmarFarouq #EFCC #CorruptionTrial #AbujaHigh Court #HumanitarianMinistry #PublicFunds #NASSCO #RotimiJacobs
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