Breaking: Court Orders Immediate Arrest of Buhari’s Ex-Minister as Details Emerge
- Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the FCT High Court ordered the arrest of former minister Sadiya Umar Farouq and Permanent Secretary Bashir Nura Alkali over failure to appear in court
- EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court the defendants evaded arraignment despite being granted administrative bail and served charges
- The court granted the EFCC’s request for a bench warrant and adjourned the case to May 18 for arraignment
FCT, Abuja - A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered the immediate arrest of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Legit.ng gathered that the order came following her failure to appear in court.
Source: Twitter
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, April 16, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie also directed the arrest of a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The order followed their absence in court to answer a 21-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Vanguard reported.
EFCC cites defendants’ refusal to appear
During proceedings, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that despite the charge being filed on December 15, 2025, both defendants had remained unavailable for arraignment.
He explained that their absence had made it difficult for the anti-graft agency to serve them, noting that only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.
Jacobs further informed the court that although legal representatives had assured that the defendants would attend trial, only the third defendant had responded when contacted through his surety.
Dispute over medical excuse and passport release
The prosecution also raised concerns over the former minister’s claim of ill health, revealing that she had previously obtained permission to travel abroad for medical reasons.
“My Lord, since that passport was released to her, she has not returned it to the commission. We do not have the medical report from Saudi Arabia to date. Only this morning, my friend served me with an affidavit of facts from the learned senior counsel for the first defendant, in which the deponent claimed that the first defendant had fallen ill.
Read also
JAMB 2026: Uproar as officials tell Muslim JAMB candidates to take off Hijab at exam centre
“My Lord, all the medical reports that my friend attached to the affidavit were issued after the charge had been filed. No medical report was issued or shown to us for the approved journey and passport release,” Jacobs, SAN, added.
In response, defence counsel, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, attributed his client’s absence to health challenges and urged the court to accept an affidavit he filed. However, the court declined to admit the document.
Court grants EFCC application for arrest
The EFCC subsequently sought a bench warrant to compel the defendants’ appearance, arguing that they had failed to honour the conditions of their administrative bail.
Source: Twitter
“We are praying Your Lordship to issue a warrant of arrest or bench warrant against the first and second defendants. This application is supported by an affidavit deposed to by one Caleb Peter on April 15, 2026, showing that the first and second defendants were granted bail but failed to report back, and that the charge had been filed and served on them, yet they failed to appear in court today.
“It is imperative, therefore, for this Honourable Court to permit the commission to arrest the first and second defendants so that they can be compelled to appear,” the prosecution counsel submitted.
Despite the defence’s request for additional time to produce the first defendant, Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled in favour of the EFCC and ordered the immediate arrest of the two defendants.
The case was subsequently adjourned until Monday, May 18, for their arraignment.
Details of the charges emerge
The charges against the defendants include criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, and the alleged diversion of public funds amounting to $1.3 million and over N746 million.
One of the counts alleged that the funds, linked to the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), were fraudulently converted for personal use instead of being returned to the ministry.
Farouq, who was appointed in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari as the pioneer minister of the ministry, is among those expected to appear before the court when proceedings resume.
DSS arrests Malami
Legit.ng previously reported that the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in Abuja on Monday, January 19.
It was learnt that the former minister was picked up in front of the Kuje Correctional Centre, shortly after he was released from the facility.
Source: Legit.ng
