Court orders arrest of ex-Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq over alleged N2.49bn fraud

A Federal Capital Territoty High Court sitting successful Apo has ordered the apprehension of the erstwhile Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, alongside a imperishable caput successful the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, aft some failed to look for their scheduled arraignment.

The ruling was made connected Thursday by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie pursuing a petition by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the defendants connected a 21-count complaint involving alleged transgression breach of trust, maltreatment of office, and diversion of nationalist funds.

The EFCC alleged that astir $1.3 cardinal and much than N746 cardinal (approximately N2.49 billion) were misappropriated during the defendants’ tenure successful office.

At the proceedings, the 3rd defendant, Sani Nafiu Mohammed, was contiguous successful court, portion Farouq and Alkali were absent.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, informed the tribunal that each defendants had been decently served with tribunal documents but deliberately failed to be proceedings contempt being alert of the arraignment date.

He besides told the tribunal that the erstwhile curate had earlier been granted support to question overseas for aesculapian reasons but had neither returned her planetary passport nor submitted immoderate aesculapian study to the EFCC.

Counsel to the erstwhile minister, Abd...