EFCC Detains Kwankwaso over alleged fraud

-


                                     Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso

A former Governor of Kano State, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, on Saturday, turned himself in for interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This came weeks after this newspaper reported how the top member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shunned previous invitations by the anti-corruption agency.

His decision to turn himself in could have been made to avert possible arrest which our reporter learnt was being planned by the commission.

Top EFCC officials, who asked not to be named because they had no permission to speak on the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES that Kwankwaso arrived at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja before noon on Saturday.

“This was after repeated invitations not honored by him,” one of the sources said.

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s spokesperson, could not be immediately reached for comments.

A close aide, who sometimes speaks for Mr. Kwankwaso, said he would get back to our reporter, but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Petition

The former Governor is being investigated over a 2015 petition by Concerned Kano State Workers and Pensioners, who alleged that he violated the Kano State Pension and Gratuity Law of 2007 in the management of pension remittances amounting to about N10 billion contributed between 2011 and 2015.

Kwankwaso, earlier governed Kano State between 1999 and 2003, before he returned for his second term from 2011 to 2015.

The 64-year-old also served as the senator representing Kano Central between 2015 and 2019.

According to the petitioners, Kwankwaso had directed that pension remittances be used for housing development, largely to favor the pensioners.

A tripartite deal was later reached between Kano State Pension Trust Funds as the investors and Kano State Investment and Property Limited and Kano State Housing Corporation Limited as developers on a 60:40 sharing ratio. 

However, after contracts for the construction of 1,579 houses were awarded for the development of ” Kwankwasiya, Amana, and Bandirawo Cities”, the petitioners alleged, Mr. Kwankwaso “manipulated” the process to terminate the term of the agreement and made outright allocations in favor of his aide and cronies.

The alleged manipulation happened in May 2015, the month Mr Kwankwaso left office as Kano’s governor.

Mr. Kwankwaso is not the only politically exposed person who shunned an invitation by the EFCC last week, findings by this Newspaper show.

As of the time of filing this report, Mr. Kwankwaso had been grilled for hours by EFCC operatives.

It is not clear yet if he will be released on bail or pass the night in custody.

PREMIUM TIMES


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kano indigene appointed as Chief Vet Officer of Nigeria

-
Image
Umar Idris Shuaibu - Kano The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has approved the appointment of Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib as Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria. This was contained in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Olaniran Alabi. According to the letter the appointment takes effect from March, 17th, 2022. Reports says that Dr. Maimuna Habib is the first female to be appointed Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria. Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib, an indigene of Dambazau town in Takai Local Government area of Kano State was born on 11th of January, 1963. She graduated in 1987 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, following which she had her compulsory National Youth Service between 1987 and 1988, with the Nigerian Police Force Veterinary Clinic, Obalende, Lagos. She holds a Masters Degree in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) from the University of California, Davis, CA,...
Read more

FULL LIST: APC inaugurates state chairpersons from 34 state

-
Image
Umar Idris Shuaibu - Kano The National caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, inaugurated party chairpersons for 34 states and the federal capital territory (FCT). Reports say that the party members had converged on the headquarters of the APC in Abuja for the inauguration amid heavy security. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman of the caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC) — represented by John Akpanudoedehe, secretary of the committee — inaugurated the state chairpersons, excluding those of Kano and Sokoto. The development comes weeks before the party’s national convention scheduled for February 26. The party did not state exact reasons for excluding Sokoto and Kano. However, while there is an ongoing court case involving the APC in Kano, party crisis in Sokoto had resulted in parallel congresses. Full list of the APC state chairpersons who were inaugurated below: Kingsley Ononogbu (Abia) Ibrahim Bilal (Adamawa) Augustine Ekane...
Read more

Rigimar Jam'iyyar APC- Daga Bello Sharada

-
Image
  Ranar Asabar  da daddare, Gwamnan jihar Neja, Abubakar Sani Bello ya kira taro a gidansa na 'yan uwansa gwamnoni a jam'iyyar APC.  Makasudin taron na fili shi ne, yadda za a fuskanci taron 'convention' na jam'iyyar APC da aka tsara gudanar da shi ranar Asabar 26 ga watan Maris na shekarar da muke ciki ta 2022 a Eagle Square, da ke Abuja. Amma manufar taron ta sirri ita ce yadda za a ci kwalar Mai Mala Buni ya taka masa burki. Yadda yake a al'ada,  taron kasa na APC shi ne zai fitar da shugabancin APC zababbe da za su tafiyar da ayyukan jam'iyya daga nan har zuwa 2023  kuma har bayanta. An samu fahimta a tsakanin masu ragamar gwamnatocin jihohi na APC guda 22, cewa a cikin mukaman da ake da su guda 56 duk wanda ya rike mukami daga yankin  kudu na kasar nan a zamanin mulkin Adams Oshiomhole, za a yi musanya ne kawai. Ma'ana, shugaban jam'iyya na kasa a baya ya fito daga kudu, yanzu zata zakuda ta koma arewa. A wancan zubin sakataren jam'iyya dan ...
Read more