In a contract scam case in Kano, local government chairmen have been detained while the nephew of former Governor Kwankwaso has been released.
The Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) is currently holding three interim Local Government Chairmen in custody due to accusations of their involvement in a contract scam related to water projects worth N660 million.
One of the individuals taken into custody is Garba Kwankwaso, who happens to be a relative of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; the chief figure associated with the Kwankwasiyya movement.
After undergoing brief detention, he was granted bail on Thursday at approximately 9 p.m and instructed by Daily Trust to present himself before authorities again come Monday.
Sources report that the three Local Government Chairmen have confessed to transferring public funds into their own accounts. Furthermore, a total of 19 individuals comprising treasurers and top officials from different Local Government Areas are undergoing interrogation with respect to the fraudulent activity.
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The accusations pertain to the unauthorized use of funds designated for water and medical supplies initiatives.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf sanctioned an initiative worth N1.1 billion for August, September and October 2024 – of which these funds were a part.
Every one of the 44 local governments was allocated N25 million to execute their respective projects; they were also directed to transfer N10 million each from their apportioned amount to Novomed Pharmaceuticals (an entity purportedly connected with Musa Garba Kwankwaso).
As part of an ongoing investigation into a potentially fraudulent N440 million drug contract, the PCACC has prevented Novomed Pharmaceuticals from accessing over N160 million in their accounts.
Barrister Okechukwu Nwaeze, the legal counsel for Kwankwaso, has expressed reservations about the investigation.
He raised concerns regarding multiple summons from three various anti-corruption organizations – namely PCACC, ICPC and EFCC- casting doubts on whether it is legitimate to carry out parallel investigations by more than a single agency.
