Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, wanted over allegations of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of public funds amounting to N37.1 billion. The anti‑graft agency announced the public notice on Saturday, May 9, 2026, following the former minister’s repeated failure to honour multiple invitations for questioning and her persistent absence from scheduled court proceedings. According to the EFCC notice signed by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Farouq is being sought in connection with an alleged money laundering and contract fraud scandal that took place during her tenure as minister from 2019 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The development came weeks after a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, issued an arrest warrant against Farouq. On April 16, 2026, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie granted an order of arrest against Farouq and a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, after both defendants failed to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment.
The order was granted following an application filed by the EFCC, which accused the defendants of repeatedly evading arraignment despite being duly served with charges and court notices. During court proceedings, only one co‑defendant, Sani Mohammed, was present. Counsel representing Farouq told the court that her absence was due to ill health, but the prosecution opposed any delay and urged the court to compel her appearance.
Farouq, Alkali, and Mohammed are facing a 21‑count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and alleged conversion of public funds estimated at about $1.3 million and N746,574,303. The EFCC alleges that part of the funds, meant to be refunded to the ministry after payments made under a social intervention programme, was allegedly converted for personal use. The investigation centers on the alleged massive diversion of billions of naira intended for the federal government’s social intervention programs during Farouq’s tenure.
According to EFCC sources, the funds were reportedly laundered through several contractors and proxies linked to the ministry. A central figure in the probe, contractor James Okwete, was previously arrested by the commission and is alleged to have facilitated the transfer of the diverted funds into various private accounts across the country.
Sources close to the investigation have linked the case to an alleged N37.1 billion fraud involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs during Farouq’s leadership, with investigations uncovering fraudulent dealings related to COVID‑19 funds, World Bank loans, and Abacha loot.
Farouq, 52, is an indigene of Zamfara State. Her last known address is listed as EN 008, Okpo River, off Agulu Street, Maitama, Abuja. The anti‑graft agency has urged anyone with useful information about her whereabouts to contact the commission’s offices nationwide in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja. The commission also provided a hotline (08093322644) and email (info@efcc.gov.ng), and advised the public to contact the nearest police station or other security agencies.
The move against Farouq is part of a broader crackdown on the management of humanitarian funds. Her successor, Betta Edu, was also suspended earlier in the year over related allegations concerning the transfer of public funds into private bank accounts. As of Saturday evening, legal representatives for the former minister had not issued a formal statement regarding the wanted declaration. Sources close to her family had previously claimed she was out of the country for medical reasons, a claim the EFCC has dismissed as a tactic to stall the judicial process.
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