Nation
N4bn Seized Assets, Arrest Of Kano Anti-Corruption Chair, Magaji, Raise Fresh Dust
Two weeks after relocating seized properties linked to a high-profile corruption case, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has found himself on the other side of the law, facing alleged arrest by the Nigeria police.
His arrest and subsequent release have generated significant debates and controversies.
Magaji was arrested on Friday on the order of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The team was led by ASP Ahmed Bello. The arrest is reportedly linked to the ongoing trial of Bala Muhammad Inuwa, the former Managing Director of the Kano Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO).
Inuwa’s trial which began in November 2023 at the Kano High Court under the presiding judge, Justice Hafsat Yahaya, is centered around the seizure of properties, including bank accounts, allegedly linked to the embezzlement of over ¦ 4 billion in public funds.
Inuwa was arrested in August 2023 by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) for allegedly diverting government funds through the Association of Compassionate Friends, an NGO he founded.
Along with his son, Bala Inuwa Muhammad Jr., and other associates, Inuwa faces multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, and making false statements. The charges claim that, between August 2022 and April 2023, they transferred funds meant for KASCO into personal accounts.
Following their arrests, a Kano State High Court granted administrative bail to Inuwa on self-recognizance, while his son was granted bail under strict conditions, including a ¦ 10 million bond.
Legal proceedings continued, with Inuwa’s legal team challenging the PCACC’s jurisdiction, seeking the withdrawal of certain judges, and requesting the removal of police officers stationed at Limestone Processing Links Ltd.
It took another turn when Inuwa accused PCACC in January 2025 of violating court orders by seizing his property, which led to a public outcry.
He urged law enforcement agencies to respect judicial decisions and not undermine the court’s authority in the ongoing legal matters.
Speaking to journalists on January 8, Inuwa claimed the agency had taken over properties stocked with trailers, fertilizer grinding machines, and other agricultural implements in contravention of a High Court order.
In response, the PCACC chair vehemently dismissed these allegations, arguing that the restraining orders obtained by Inuwa were interim orders that had expired since 2024.
He also noted that the PCACC was not made a party to the proceedings, despite being the primary agency in charge of the confiscated properties.
Magaji emphasized that Section 40 of the Kano Anti-Corruption Law empowers the commission to secure such properties while the case is ongoing.
Two weeks ago, Magaji disclosed during a press briefing that his commission had thwarted an attempt to relocate seized properties worth over ¦ 2 billion, including trailers, trucks, and minivans. The items were moved to a state government warehouse in Nasarawa GRA from their previous location in Kumbotso Local Government Area.
However on Friday, Magaji was arrested by the IGP monitoring team and released the same day at around 10:45 p.m.
According to his lawyer, Usman Umar Fari, the arrest was based on allegations of misappropriating ¦ 4 billion and confiscating properties worth ¦ 2 billion.
Fari criticized the police’s actions as a breach of legal process, noting that the complaints against Magaji involve cases already before the courts.
However, the Nigeria Police on Monday responded by issuing a statement to clarify the situation.
According to the police, Magaji was not arrested but was instead invited for questioning in relation to a petition filed against him.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated, “We wish to clarify that Mr. Magaji was not arrested; instead, he was invited by the Force pertaining to a petition received against him. Any assertions indicating that Mr. Magaji was arrested are unfounded and misleading.”
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Magaji alleged that his arrest was orchestrated by a suspect being prosecuted by his agency.
He described it as retaliation from individuals within the corruption world.
“Anti-corruption fights are fair, but corruption fights are dirty. There are lots of activities being orchestrated against my person,” he said.
Magaji accused the accused persons of attempting to tamper with evidence, prompting his decision to relocate the seized properties to a more secure location.
He added, “When they couldn’t succeed in court, they activated the police to arrest me.”
Also, at a One-Day Dissemination Event for Kano Open Government Partnership (OGP) Second State Action Plan (SAP II 2024-2025) and the Kano State Anti-Corruption Strategy (2024-2028) held on Tuesday in Kano, Magaji, lamented the challenges faced in combating corruption, emphasizing how corrupt individuals exploit the system to fight back.
He detailed the ongoing case and how it unfolded.
“That money we are talking about was put in KASCO’s account between May 2022 and May 2023. The then head of the agency siphoned it. We traced about ¦ 700 million cash that was not spent, blocked it, and identified over ¦ 43 billion that had been spent. We tracked the assets they purchased, seized them in accordance with the law, and charged the matter to court.”
Magaji explained that while the Commission made progress in the case, efforts were obstructed by what he termed “judicial interference.”
He recounted how ¦ 200 million of the blocked funds were allegedly removed through questionable judicial maneuvers.
“Somebody, through the backdoor, used our judicial system to help these people remove ¦ 200 million out of the ¦ 700 million we blocked. They are using this money to fight back. Beyond that, they attempted to seize the property we pledged as evidence before the court. That’s when I said, ‘No.’”
Magaji criticized the alleged complicity of law enforcement officers and judicial representatives in enabling corruption.
He cited an instance where a senior police official dismissed the Commission’s actions, stating, “The property belongs to Ganduje, and you’re too small to seize it.”
“This is not about personalities. This is about anti-corruption. Regardless of your status, as far as you break the law, the law will go after you. In an egalitarian society, we are all supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law,” Magaji said.
He further disclosed how the police guarding the seized property were removed under dubious circumstances, leading to the deployment of civil defense officers.
“Three hours after we stationed civil defense personnel, I received a call that they had been ordered from Abuja to withdraw. I had no choice but to call on KAROTA to secure the property.”
Magaji shared how he faced threats, including an attempt to detain him on charges of abuse of power, mischief, and trespass. He questioned the motives behind such accusations:
“Can I even abuse power as the head of an agency empowered by law to act? If i do is it the appropriate way to go about it?.
“Someone asked me, ‘What do you stand to lose if you allow them to take the property?’ This fight is not about me; it’s about upholding the law,” he added.
Nation
Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides
Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.
Nation
Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50 Schools
A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.
John Bibor
Nation
NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat
The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.
He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.
-
Business2 days ago
Oil Production Resumption: Ogoni Youths Seek Inclusion In FG’s Plans
-
Business13 hours ago
NCDMB Assures Samsung Of Support On Oil/gas Industry Projects
-
Sports9 hours ago
NSC, NFF Visit proposed Abuja hotel, training pitch
-
News3 days ago
Senate Reshuffles Committees, Appoints New Chairmen For Dev Commissions
-
Nation2 days ago
Bizman Alleges Threat To Life …Seeks Police , Govt’s Intervention
-
Nation10 hours ago
Simplified Leader Lauds Knight For Building Church
-
Opinion8 hours ago
It’s ECOWAS Of People, Not Coup Plotters
-
Rivers2 days ago
NOSDRA D-G Disburses N150m To 300 Farmers In Rivers