Kano Emirate Council Probe Almost Completed, Says State Anti-graft Agency

The Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Muhuyi Magaji, has said the agency has achieved 80 per cent success into the investigation of alleged misapplication of N6 billion by the Kano Emirate Council.

Magaji said yesterday in Abuja that the commission had also recorded a “water tight case against the emirate council’’ over the allegations of financial misappropriation.

“We have also identified our primary suspect in the course of the investigation,’’ he said, but declined to name the suspect.

However, he said the commission suspended the probe to avoid a “crisis of concurrent investigation with the state House of Assembly and possible litigation by interested parties.’’

The chairman explained that the state legislature has taken over the case by constituting an eight-man committee to conduct a similar probe when the commission was on top of the situation.

According to him, Section 16 of the law establishing the commission barred it from conducting further investigation into any matter pending before the state House of Assembly and the courts.

Magaji cited the case of Rabiu Salisu and others before the Federal Court of Appeal in suit No: K/37/2016, and suit No: K/M/728/2015, involving Rabiu Ibrahim & Co financial institutions Vs the anti-graft agency to buttress the need for the suspension.

He added that the commission had found out that “all the monies allegedly spent were not appropriated for contrary to the Kano State Emirate Council Law 2004.’’ The law requires the council to prepare annual budgets and submit same for appropriation by the legislature.

“But our findings from the Ministry of Budget and Planning confirmed that the Emirate Council has an annual overhead of N15 million and no capital allocation even under Sanusi,’’ said the chairman.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he added that the commission has written the House of Assembly on the matter and would stay further action pending the response of the legislature.

He urged the public to appreciate the legal and extraneous constraints of the commission in suspending investigation into the alleged financial irregularities committed by the emirate council.