THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, wanted over alleged abuse of office and diversion of public funds, intensifying efforts to bring her before the court in an ongoing high-profile financial misconduct case.
News Point Nigeria reports that the anti-graft agency, in a notice published on its official website on Saturday, called on members of the public with useful information about the whereabouts of the former minister to contact any of its offices nationwide through the phone numbers provided.
According to the EFCC, Umar Farouq, 52, is from Zamfara State, with her last known address listed as EN008, Okpo River, off Agulu Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The former minister served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari between 2019 and 2023.
The EFCC is currently investigating alleged fraud involving about N37 billion linked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs during her tenure in office.
The development comes weeks after a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, issued a warrant for her arrest following her failure to appear for arraignment alongside other defendants.
On April 16, 2026, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie granted an order of arrest against Umar Farouq and a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, after both defendants failed to appear in court for their scheduled arraignment.
The order was granted following an application filed by the EFCC, which accused the defendants of repeatedly evading arraignment despite being duly served with charges and court notices.
News Point Nigeria reports that the case has attracted national attention due to the prominence of the accused persons and the scale of the alleged financial misconduct.
Also joined in the matter is one Sani Nafiu Mohammed, who was present in court on the scheduled hearing date.
According to court records, Umar Farouq, Alkali and Mohammed are facing a 21-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards and conversion of public funds running into approximately $1.3 million and N746,574,303 during their time in office.
The EFCC alleged that the offences were committed between May 8, 2021, and September 22, 2022, in Abuja, while the defendants occupied key positions in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
One of the charges presented before the court alleged that Umar Farouq and Alkali dishonestly converted public funds entrusted to them, particularly funds reportedly meant for the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and linked to excess payments involving Visual ICT Limited.
The anti-graft agency argued that the actions of the defendants amounted to criminal breach of trust contrary to relevant provisions of the Penal Code and required full judicial scrutiny.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court that although the charges had been filed since December 15, 2025, repeated efforts to bring the defendants before the court had failed.
Jacobs explained that attempts to secure their appearance were stalled despite assurances from their legal representatives that they would produce them in court.
According to the EFCC, Umar Farouq, Alkali and Mohammed are specifically facing allegations bordering on criminal breach of trust and abuse of office involving the alleged misappropriation of about $1.3 million and N746.6 million meant for government programmes.
The commission maintained that the alleged offences formed part of a wider investigation into financial transactions and contract awards linked to the ministry during Umar Farouq’s tenure as minister.
The court proceedings marked a major escalation in the anti-corruption case, with the EFCC insisting that the defendants must appear before the court to answer the allegations levelled against them.
Justice Onwuegbuzie, while granting the arrest warrant, ruled in favour of the EFCC’s application after listening to submissions by the prosecution.
The judge held that the defendants must be compelled to appear before the court to face the charges filed against them.
The EFCC has since intensified efforts to locate the former minister following the publication of the wanted notice, while investigations into the alleged diversion of public funds continue.