Former Minister Sadiya Farouq Seeks Court Order to Vacate EFCC Arrest Warrant

ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to set aside the bench warrant issued for her arrest in connection with an alleged fraud case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The former minister is facing a 21-count charge alongside a former permanent secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, and another defendant, Sani Mohammed, over the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

The case stems from proceedings at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, where Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued a warrant for Farouq’s arrest in April after she failed to appear for her scheduled arraignment. The court also ordered the arrest of Alkali.

Defence Challenges Arrest Warrant

At the resumed hearing on Monday, Farouq was absent from court, while the second and third defendants were present.

Counsel to the EFCC, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, informed the court that the former minister was not in attendance. In response, Farouq’s lawyer, Oladipo Okpeseyi, requested that the court hear an application seeking to vacate the arrest warrant issued against his client.

Okpeseyi told the court that Farouq was unable to attend proceedings due to health challenges and argued that the application was a preliminary matter that should be heard before arraignment.

However, the EFCC opposed the request, insisting that the application was premature since the defendant had not yet been arraigned. Atolagbe argued that court records showed the motion could not be entertained before the commencement of trial proceedings.

The defence disagreed, maintaining that refusing to hear the application would effectively amount to treating it as abandoned.

Court Reserves Ruling

During the proceedings, Justice Onwuegbuzie sought clarification on when Farouq would be available to appear before the court.

Responding, Okpeseyi said communication with his client had been difficult because she was in Egypt during a 10-day holiday period and receiving medical treatment. He added that the defence team could not provide a detailed medical assessment because they were not her doctors.

After hearing arguments from both parties, the judge allowed the application to be argued and subsequently adjourned the matter until June 10 for a ruling on whether the arrest warrant should be set aside.

The EFCC has urged the court to dismiss the application and disregard the medical reports submitted by the former minister, arguing that the documents lacked credibility.

Alleged Financial Misconduct

The anti-graft agency had earlier secured court approval on April 16 to arraign Farouq, Alkali and Mohammed over allegations involving approximately $1.3 million and N746.6 million in public funds.

Following Farouq’s failure to appear in court on the scheduled date, Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for her arrest.

At the previous hearing, her counsel informed the court that she was undergoing medical treatment in Egypt and was medically unfit to attend proceedings. The prosecution, however, argued that the case should not be delayed further and urged the court to maintain the arrest warrant.

The court is expected to deliver its ruling on the application on June 10.

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A Lagos-based journalist with a passion for disseminating factual information and a deep appreciation for good music, good food, movies, and beautiful cars. He hopes to travel the world someday, documenting its beauty and diverse cultures through his storytelling.