From Minister to Wanted: The Case Against Sadiya Umar Farouq

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission published a public notice on Saturday, asking Nigerians to help locate the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development. It is a significant moment — one that many people who watched her serve under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023 probably did not see coming.

How Things Got to This Point

The case against Farouq has been building quietly. A charge was filed against her as far back as December 2025, but getting her and her co-defendants before a judge proved difficult. When her arraignment was finally scheduled for April 16, 2026, she did not appear in court.

Her lawyer explained that she was ill and presented documents to support the claim. The presiding judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, was not persuaded. He issued an arrest warrant that same day and set a new date for May 18, 2026. Weeks passed, and Farouq remained out of sight. That is when the EFCC decided to go public.

What the Money Was For

At the heart of the matter is a social intervention programme meant to help ordinary Nigerians. A technology company, Visual ICT Limited, had received payments from the ministry to validate beneficiaries under the National Social Safety Net programme. When the job was done, the leftover funds were supposed to come back to the government.

According to the EFCC, that did not happen. Instead, it alleges that about $1.3 million and N746.6 million ended up in the wrong hands.

Who Else Is Involved

Farouq is not facing these allegations alone. Bashir Nura Alkali, who served as a permanent secretary in the same ministry, and a businessman named Sani Mohammed are also named in the 21-count charge. The three are accused of conspiracy, breach of trust, and abuse of office.