By Kamsi Anayo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sustained the arrest warrant earlier issued against former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, over alleged fraud involving $1.3m and N746.7m.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie ruled that the bench warrant issued against Sadiya on April 16, 2026, would remain in force.
Farouq is being prosecuted alongside Bashir Nura Alkali and Sani Nafiu Mohammed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on alleged criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.
At the resumed proceedings, counsel for the anti-graft agency, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that the matter was slated for arraignment, but noted that the first defendant, Farouq, was absent without explanation.
Jacobs said: “My lord, we were here on April 16, 2026, when your lordship granted us a bench warrant to arrest the first defendant. It was because of that the second defendant immediately approached the commission and surrendered himself in obedience to your lordship’s order.”
He urged the court to vacate the warrant against the second defendant while sustaining the order against the former minister.
The prosecutor further recalled that Farouq’s counsel, Oladipo Okpesheyi (SAN), had earlier pleaded with the court to grant him one month to produce his client.
According to Jacobs, despite the court’s reluctance to grant a lengthy adjournment under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the judge accommodated the defence’s plea.
“My expectation this morning will be for my colleague to say that the client he promised to produce is in court today, but alas, he did not do so,” Jacobs said.
He added: “I will urge your lordship to ensure that the undertaking is enforced by counsel to produce his client instead of asking the court to discharge the order. My lordship should not listen to them until the undertaking is enforced.”
Meanwhile, when asked by the court to explain Farouq’s absence, Okpesheyi told the judge that the former minister was currently in Egypt receiving medical treatment.
“My lord, she is in Egypt. I learnt that her doctor said she is not medically fit to appear today,” he said.
“There is a medical report I received on my phone last night that she is in the hospital on the doctor’s advice in Egypt. She will need about two months to recover before she can come. We will be humbly asking for an adjournment.”
Justice Onwuegbuzie, however, frowned on what he described as repeated attempts to frustrate and delay the trial.
At the last adjournment, the judge noted that counsel had promised to produce the first defendant, adding that further delay would not be tolerated.
The judge subsequently ruled that the arrest warrant against Farouq remained active and adjourned the matter till June 8, 2026, for arraignment.
