Sadiya Umar-Farouq's Bid to Quash Arrest Warrant Fails in Court

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, has turned down an application by former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, seeking to nullify a bench warrant issued for her arrest. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in his ruling, stated that Umar-Farouq failed to provide a valid reason for her absence from court, which led to the issuance of the warrant. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Umar-Farouq, alongside Bashir Alkali and Sani Mohammed, on charges of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds amounting to $1.3 million and N746.7 million. According to the judge, 'The defendant, who is fully aware that this is a criminal proceeding, has willfully failed to appear in court without a valid reason, and the law empowers the court to issue a bench warrant of arrest when it has been ascertained that the defendant is absent from court without a valid reason.' The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, urged the court to enforce an earlier undertaking made by Umar-Farouq's lead counsel, A.A. Ibrahim, to produce his client before the court. Jacobs said, 'My lordship, for a senior counsel to make an undertaking which is reflected in your lordship's ruling, we crave your lordship to give effect to that undertaking by A.A. Ibrahim, SAN, to produce the defendant.' The case was adjourned until July 2 for the arraignment of the defendants. The EFCC alleged that Umar-Farouq and her co-defendants are facing 21 charges of breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and conversion of public funds involving $1.3 million and N746,574,303. The commission claimed that the $1.3 million represented excess funds paid under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) programme for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries, which were meant to be refunded by contractor Social Development by Visual ICT Limited, but were allegedly converted by Umar-Farouq and Alkali for personal benefit.