A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant against former Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and a Permanent Secretary in same ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, over an alleged fraud involving $1.3 million and N746.6 million.

This latest development was disclosed on Thursday, April 16 by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on its social media page.

According to the update, the presiding judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, gave the order on Thursday, April 16, 2026, following the failure of the two defendants to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment while the third defendant in the case, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.

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The trio are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 21-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and alleged diversion of public funds amounting to $1,300,000 and N746,574,303.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Sadiya Umar Farouq, While being Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and Bashir Nura Alkali while being the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, between 8 May 2021 and 22 September 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit, an aggregate sum of $1,300,000.00(One Million, Three Hundred Thousand Dollars), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you fraudulently converted the said sum to your personal benefit and which sum was meant to be refunded to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development by Visual ICT Limited, being excess funds paid by the Ministry under National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code and Punishable under the same Section.”

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly diverted funds meant to be refunded to the ministry by a contractor, Visual ICT Limited, under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that although the charges were filed on December 15, 2025, efforts to serve the first and second defendants had initially failed.

He explained that while legal representatives had previously assured the court that the defendants would be produced, they failed to do so. He added that only the third defendant appeared after his surety was contacted.

Jacobs further revealed that the first defendant had earlier written to the commission, stating she was travelling to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment in 2024, prompting the release of her passport.

However, he noted that she was yet to return the passport or provide any medical report to justify her absence.

In response, counsel to the first defendant, Abdul Ibrahim (SAN), informed the court that his client’s absence was due to ill health and sought to tender an affidavit to that effect.

Justice Onwuegbuzie, however, declined the application and subsequently issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the absent defendants.

The case has been adjourned pending the execution of the arrest warrant.