The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, wanted over allegations of abuse of office and diversion of public funds .
In a notice published on its official website on Saturday, the anti-graft agency appealed to the public for assistance in locating the former minister .
“Anybody with useful information as to her whereabouts should contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies,” the commission said .
According to the EFCC, Farouq, 52, is an indigene of Zamfara State, and her last known address is EN008, Okpo River, off Agulu Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The declaration follows an earlier ruling by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja. On April 16, 2026, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued a warrant of arrest against Farouq and a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali .
The judge granted the order after the defendants failed to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment . Only the third defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was present in court.
Farouq served as minister from 2019 to 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari . She was the pioneer minister of the newly created Humanitarian Affairs ministry and, at the time of her appointment, was the youngest minister in the federal cabinet .
The EFCC has filed a 21-count charge against the three defendants bordering on criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent award of contracts, and conversion of public funds .
The commission alleged that the defendants misappropriated approximately $1.3 million and N746.6 million . The funds were reportedly meant to be refunded to the ministry by Visual ICT Limited – an overpayment made under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for the validation of Rapid Response Register beneficiaries .
Instead of being returned to the government’s coffers, the EFCC claims the money was diverted for personal use .
What Happened in Court
During the court proceedings on April 16, prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, informed the court that the charge had been filed since December 15, 2025, but the anti-graft agency had faced difficulties producing the first and second defendants for arraignment .
Jacobs further disclosed that Farouq had previously written to the EFCC in 2024 requesting the release of her international passport for a medical check-up in Saudi Arabia . However, he told the court that since the passport was released, she has not returned it to the commission, and no medical report from Saudi Arabia has been provided to date .
“Only this morning, my friend served me with an affidavit of facts in which the deponent claimed that the first defendant had fallen ill. My Lord, all the medical reports attached to the affidavit were issued after the charge had been filed. No medical report was issued or shown to us for the approved journey and passport release,” Jacobs said .
Counsel to the former minister, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, attributed his client’s absence to ill health and urged the court to accept an affidavit of facts to that effect. He also requested six weeks to produce the former minister in court .
Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected the application and proceeded to issue the arrest warrant . The case has been adjourned until May 18, 2026, for arraignment and trial .
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