Three interim local government chairmen in Kano State have been taken into custody by the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) over allegations of a N660 million water contract scam. The arrests are part of a broader investigation into the misappropriation of public funds meant for essential services.
Musa Garba Kwankwaso, the nephew of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, was also detained but later released on bail around 9 p.m. on Thursday. Sources indicate that he has been instructed to return to the commission’s office on Monday for further questioning.
The interim administrators under investigation include Abdulaziz Sulaiman of Kiru Local Government Area, Basiru Abubakar of Bebeji Local Government Area, and Gambo Isa, the caretaker chairman of Garko Local Government Area. According to sources, these officials have allegedly confessed to misappropriating funds from their private accounts.
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In addition to the three chairmen, 19 other individuals, including treasurers, heads of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) departments, and other senior officials from various local government areas, are currently in custody and undergoing interrogation. Those detained include Nura Uba Sani, Muhammad Sani, Ibrahim Sani, Usman Yusha’u, and several others. They are accused of transferring money to personal accounts and, in some cases, withdrawing large sums of cash.
Grassroots Parrot reports that some millions have already been recovered from the suspects, and efforts are ongoing to recover more funds. The investigation has revealed that the N660 million in question is part of a N1.1 billion fund approved by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the 44 local governments in Kano State.
The funds were intended for addressing issues related to water and medical supplies for August, September, and October 2024, with N25 million allocated to each local government.
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Of the N25 million released to each local government in August, it was discovered that caretaker chairmen were allegedly instructed to remit N10 million each to the account of Novomed Pharmaceuticals. The company, reportedly owned by Musa Garba Kwankwaso, is under scrutiny for a N440 million drug contract flagged as potentially fraudulent.
In response to the ongoing investigation, the PCACC has secured a post-no-debit order on the account of Novomed Pharmaceuticals, freezing over N160 million while working to recover the remaining sum. However, Musa Garba Kwankwaso’s counsel, Barrister Okechukwu Nwaeze, has expressed intentions to challenge the probe, citing multiple invitations from three anti-corruption agencies—the PCACC, ICPC, and EFCC—as unconstitutional.
As the investigation progresses, the three local government chairmen have been granted bail but are yet to fulfill the conditions. It is expected that they will be granted administrative bail once the necessary conditions are met. The PCACC continues its probe, determined to uncover the full extent of the alleged corruption and recover the misappropriated funds.