Counsel to former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has told the court that his client is currently in Egypt and unable to appear due to health challenges.
Her lawyer, Oladipo Okpesheyi, disclosed this during proceedings on Monday, May 18, stating that she would need time to recover before returning to Nigeria.
Farouq is being prosecuted alongside Bashir Nura Alkali and Sani Mohammed on a 21-count charge bordering on alleged breach of trust and abuse of office.
The charges, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, accuse the defendants of misappropriating about $1.3 million and ₦746.6 million.
The case is before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo.
At an earlier sitting in April, the court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Farouq and Alkali, while the EFCC subsequently declared the former minister wanted over alleged diversion of public funds.
When the case resumed, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment but noted the absence of the first defendant.
“My lord, we were here on April 16, 2026, when your lordship granted us a bench warrant to arrest the first defendant,” Jacobs was quoted in a statement by the EFCC.
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“It was because of that; the second defendant immediately approached the Commission and surrendered himself in obedience to your lordship’s order.
“We urge your lordship to remove the bench warrant from the second defendant as we will be applying that the bench warrant for the first defendant be sustained.”
Jacobs further reminded the court that Okpesheyi had earlier assured that his client would be produced within one month.
The presiding judge, Jude Onwuegbuzie, then asked the defence counsel to explain his client’s absence.
In response, Okpesheyi said he received information the previous night indicating that Farouq was hospitalised in Egypt.
“My lord, she is in Egypt. I learnt that her doctor said she is not medically fit to appear today. There is a medical report I received on my phone last night that she is in the hospital on doctor’s advice in Egypt,” the counsel said.
“She will need about two months to recover before she can come. We will be humbly asking for an adjournment.”
The judge expressed dissatisfaction with the delay and warned that further action could be taken if the defendant fails to appear at the next hearing.
Onwuegbuzie ruled that the bench warrant against Farouq remains in force and adjourned the case to June 8, 2026, for arraignment.