Shehu Wada Sagagi, Chief of Staff to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has dragged the Northern Youth Merger Group, a platform under the All Progressives Congress (APC), over allegations of palliative diversion leveled against him.
Grassroots Parrot had exclusively reported how some irate youths invaded a private residence of the Kano Chief of Staff at Gandun Albasa in the Kano Municipal Local Government Area, recently.
The angry youths – during the #EndBadGovernance protests – looted hundreds of bags of rice, which were parts of the grains recently donated by the federal government to Kano State.
The bags of rice labeled “Federal Government Food Security Program” were part of the grains donated to the Kano State Government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal shortly before the protests.
The invaded building was the Chief of Staff’s private residence before he relocated and converted it to an Islamiyya school called Wada Sagagi Islamic School.
READ ALSO: Protesters Invade Kano Chief of Staff Residence; Loot Allegedly Diverted FG’s Rice
Sagagi, in a telephone interview with Arewa Radio correspondent, initially admitted that the looted 25 kg bags of rice at his residence were part of the federal government items donated to the state.
He, however, denied the allegation of diverting the food items. He said the state government approved some of the palliatives be donated to some schools across the state.
According to him, with that approval, the Qur’an memorization school qualifies to benefit from the palliatives.
READ ALSO: Kano APC Seeks Probe Into Alleged Diversion of FG’s Rice After Grassroots Parrot Report
The All Progressive Congress (APC), the main opposition party in the state, condemned the move, calling for an investigation into the alleged diversion of the rice donated by the Federal Government.
The State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, expressed concern over the recurring incidents of alleged palliatives’ diversion by some of the NNPP-led government officials.
Abbas warned that failure to take action may be seen as tacit support for these nefarious and unpatriotic acts.
The development prompted the Northern Youth Merger Group, a platform under the All Progressives Congress (APC), to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the matter.
Following these backlashes, Sagagi later dismissed the allegation, describing it as misleading and politically motivated by the APC in their desperate attempt to malign his personality and that of the NNPP administration.
He, however, approached a Kano State High Court to retrain the EFCC, Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, and one Hon. Musa Mujahid Zaitawa from arresting or intimidating him over the matter.
READ ALSO: Kano APC Seeks Probe Into Alleged Diversion of FG’s Rice After Grassroots Parrot Report
According to Wada Sagagi, the APC is bent on discrediting his personality without concrete evidence, as he pointed out that such frivolous rantings are mere allegations designed to score cheap political stunts.
In an order granted by Justice Aisha Ya’u of the state high court on Thursday, Sagagi secured the approval of the court, restraining the EFCC and Commissioner of Police from arresting, intimidating, or harassing him pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed against the four respondents.
The exparte order reads: ”Upon reading motion exparte together with the accompanying affidavit in support dated August 12th, 204, duly deposed by Jennifer Jediel, an order hereby granted.
”An interim injunction is granted restraining the respondents, particularly the EFCC and Commissioner of Police, by themselves, servants, agents, privies, or whosoever and howsoever deriving authority from them, from arresting, harassing, molesting, or detaining the applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”.
The case is adjourned to September 3, 2024, for a hearing on the motion on notice.
