Court Rejects Sadiya Farouq’s Bid to Vacate Arrest Warrant in $1.3m, N746m Fraud Case

A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo has dismissed an application by former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, seeking to set aside the bench warrant issued for her arrest.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in a ruling delivered on Monday, held that the former minister failed to appear before the court without a valid reason, despite being aware of the criminal proceedings against her.

Umar-Farouq is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Bashir Nura Alkali and Sani Nafiu Mohammed over allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds amounting to $1.3 million and N746.7 million.

The judge ruled that the court was empowered to issue a bench warrant after establishing that the defendant was absent without sufficient justification.

“The defendant, who is fully aware that this is a criminal proceeding, has willfully failed to appear in court without a valid reason,” Onwuegbuzie said.

He dismissed the explanation provided by the defence, which cited medical conditions, including arthritis and heart disease, as reasons for Umar-Farouq’s inability to attend proceedings.

“There is nothing in the exhibit explaining why the defendant, who has mere arthritis and heart disease, cannot appear before the court. Is it that there are no medical facilities in Nigeria?” the judge questioned.

The court held that the application lacked merit and declined to cancel the arrest warrant.

Following the ruling, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, urged the court to enforce an undertaking allegedly given by the former minister’s lawyer, A.A. Ibrahim, to produce his client before the court.

Jacobs argued that the medical report presented by the defence covered a period that had already expired and requested that the court compel the former minister’s appearance at the next hearing.

However, counsel appearing for Ibrahim, A.M. Lawal, asked the court to allow the senior advocate to personally address the issue of the undertaking.

The judge granted the request and adjourned the matter until July 2 for the arraignment of the former minister and other defendants.