On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant for Sadiya Farouq, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, over allegations that she fraudulently diverted social security funds during her tenure.
A statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed that the court also ordered the arrest of the ministry’s former permanent secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali.
The warrant was issued by Trial Judge Jude Onwuegbuzie after both individuals failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment. According to the EFCC, only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present for the proceedings.
Lead prosecutor Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) informed the court that although the EFCC filed the charges in December 2024, the legal process has been stalled by the defendants’ repeated absences.
He noted that a previous attempt to arraign them on December 15, 2025, also failed. Jacobs pointed out that despite their lawyers’ earlier promises to produce them, the two officials had not reported to the EFCC, necessitating a court order for substituted service to formally deliver the charges.
While these specific charges were not previously public, Farouq’s ministry has long been under scrutiny for the suspicious management of social safety net funds.
As the pioneer minister of the department created under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, she has been linked to several scandals involving various social security programs.
Shortly after taking office in 2023, President Bola Tinubu suspended these programs to investigate the fraud allegations and restructure them for better transparency.
