Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Apo, has dismissed an application filed by counsel to a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, seeking to set aside the bench warrant and warrant of arrest issued against her.

Farouq, alongside two others, Bashir Nura Alkali and Sani Nafiu Mohammed, are to face prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds to the tune of $1.3 million and ₦746.7 million.

Delivering the ruling, the judge held that the defendant had wilfully failed to appear in court without a valid reason, maintaining that the law empowers the court to issue a bench warrant of arrest where it is established that a defendant is absent without justification.


Following the ruling, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, asked the court to enforce an undertaking allegedly made by counsel to the former minister, A.A. Ibrahim, to produce his client before the court.

Responding, A.M. Lawal, who appeared for Ibrahim, urged the court to allow the senior advocate to personally respond to the issue of the undertaking.

Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the request, stating that Ibrahim should be allowed to appear in court to defend himself regarding the undertaking.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to July 2, 2026, for arraignment.

By Augustine Akhilomen

The Lagos State Government has issued a flood alert to residents, warning that several parts of the state may experience heavy rainfall, flash floods, rising water levels and possible riverbank overflows between June 14 and June 21, 2026.

The advisory was issued by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Mahamood Adegbite, following a flood prediction update released by the Federal Ministry of Environment.

According to the forecast, communities considered to be at critical risk include Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Lekki, Ojo, Orile-Agege, Surulere, Agege, Alimosho and Kosofe..

The flood prediction update, signed by the Director of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management, Usman Bokani, classified the listed areas as “Critical Risk Areas.”

The update advised communities within the affected locations to maintain immediate flood watch, identify evacuation routes and protect vulnerable households.

It also urged residents to “avoid settlement or trading activities within active floodplains, low-lying drainage corridors and riverbank areas.”

However, the Lagos State Government assured residents of the affected communities and the state at large that there was no cause for panic, stressing that it has continued year-round maintenance and clearing of primary and secondary drainage channels.

According to the government, these proactive measures have helped prevent any devastating impact associated with heavy rainfall since the onset of this year’s rainy season.

“These proactive steps have ensured that the state has not suffered any devastating effect that comes with heavy rainfalls since the advent of the rains this year,” the statement added.

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, believes that the party’s presidential ticket of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Abdullahi, who was interviewed on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the party believes any of its presidential aspirants would have offered better leadership than the incumbent administration, describing the Atiku-Amaechi combination as a formidable team capable of winning the election.

“We believe that everybody who was running as an aspirant on the platform of the ADC, whether it’s Atiku or Rotimi Amaechi or Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, will do far better than what President Bola Tinubu is doing.

“We believe that the emergence of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi as our presidential and vice-presidential candidates actually gives us a formidable team that is immensely capable of winning this election. So we are not surprised with the kind of shenanigans that have been cropping up the moment we announced Rotimi Amaechi as our vice-presidential candidate,” the party spokesman said.

According to Abdullahi, the ADC “will be on the ballot in the 2027 general elections” and will soon hold a formal presentation and a major event to unveil its presidential ticket to Nigerians officially.

He also insisted that the party conducted a credible primary election. Amaechi, who contested the ADC presidential primary, lost to Atiku before subsequently being announced as the party’s vice-presidential candidate earlier on Monday.

With the 2027 general election drawing closer, political parties are consolidating their positions following their primaries. President Bola Tinubu is the APC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will fly the ADC flag, while Peter Obi is the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Notably, Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were the leading contenders in the 2023 presidential election, with Tinubu emerging as the winner with over eight million votes, while Obi and Atiku got over six million votes.

Amaechi was a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.

Atiku has pursued the nation’s top job on six occasions over the past three decades, with his presidential ambitions dating back to 1992–1993 and continuing through election cycles up to 2023.

The APC has however, remained Nigeria’s ruling party since assuming power in 2015.

The ADC spokesman Abdullahi, speaking further on the show, condemned a Federal High Court ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, calling it an attack on democracy and an example of judicial misconduct.

He argued that many candidates had already contested elections under the ADC platform and rejected the judgement entirely.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, directed INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

“We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.

“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC,” Abdullahi said.