Headlines
Kano anti-graft agency arrests 2 Kano Emirate’s officials over alleged N150m land scam
Nasiru Yusuf
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has arrested two officials of the Kano Emirate Council for allegedly collecting a N15 million kickback after selling some plots of land at the sum of N150 million without the state government’s approval.
In an exclusive interview with KANO FOCUS on Tuesday, chairman of the agency Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, said the two suspects, who were arrested on Monday have been quizzed and released.
He said the suspects were members of the Kano emirate’s finance committee, constituted by Emir Muhammad Sanusi II to supervise the construction of houses on the said parcels of land, which are located at Bubbugaje and Hotoro quarters in the city.
However, Mr Rimin-Gado alleged that instead of supervising the construction of structures, the emirate officials sold the land plots at the sum of N150 million and collected N15 million from the amount as “kickback”, without the approval of the Kano state government.
The PCACC chair added that when the issue was first reported to the agency, a query was sent to the suspects on January 10, 2020, demanding explanations on who authorized them to sell the land plots, but their lawyers advised them not to respond.
“To the best of my knowledge, emirate’s officials are state government employees. They should abide by public service rules and financial regulations. But palace officials are pretending to be from an independent institution.
“Let me tell you, this investigation has nothing to do with the earlier investigation of Kano emirate’s misappropriation.
“In fact, an aged woman from Hotoro quarters complained that Kano state governor (Abdullahi Ganduje) has sold a land belonging to the emirate council, but when we investigated the matter, we found that, it was sold by these persons.
“The commission has requested all the remaining emirs to submit the list of landed properties belonging to their respective emirates,” Mr Rimin-gado said.
A senior official of the commission who does not want his name to be published, identified one of the suspects as Dan’Isan Lapai, who was said to be a consultant to the Kano emirate.
The official also hinted to this newspaper that the commission has summoned another traditional title holder Professor Isa Hashim (Jarman Kano), who is expected to give a statement to the agency on Tuesday.
Officials of the Kano Emirate did not respond to phone calls and text messages sent to them by KANO FOCUS seeking comments on this report.
However, a source at the palace told KANO FOCUS that Emir Muhammad Sanusi ll and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje are billed to meet President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock presidential villa for reconciliation on Tuesday.
Relationship between Messrs Sanusi and Ganduje has become sour after the latter accused the former of supporting his opponent Abba Yusuf during the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Mr Ganduje has split the historic emirate into five apparently to whittle-down Mr Sanusi’s influence.
But the Kano Emirates’ four kingmakers have filed a lawsuit before a court challenging Mr Ganduje’s decision to create new emirates.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano State Council, has inaugurated the Kano Online Media Chapel, marking a new chapter for digital journalism in the state.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Sunday at the NUJ Secretariat, was attended by top government officials, media executives, and stakeholders, including the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, and the NUJ Kano Council Chairman, Comrade Suleiman A. Dederi.
During the event, the following officials were sworn in to lead the new Chapel:
• Chairman: Abubakar Abdulkadir Dangambo (Publisher, Independent Post)
• Vice Chairman: Kahdija Aliyu (Publisher, Paradigm News)
• Secretary: Isiyaku Ahmad (Publisher, Stallion Times)
• Assistant Secretary: Zahrau Nasir Ahmed (Publisher, Daily Watch 24)
• Financial Secretary: Zainab Abdurrahman Mai Agogo (Publisher, Kakaki24)
• Treasurer: Abbas Yushau Yusuf (Publisher, Nigeria Tracker)
• Auditor: Musa Ahmad Durumin Iya (Publisher, Alifijir News)
In his acceptance speech, Chairman Abubakar Abdulkadir Dangambo expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, emphasizing that the Online Media Chapel would not compete with traditional media but complement it.
He stressed the importance of promoting ethical, responsible, and impactful journalism in the digital era, pledging to uphold the highest standards of truth, fairness, and integrity.
“We are committed to fostering professionalism, unity among practitioners, and building the capacity of online journalists to meet global standards,” Dangambo said.
Commissioner Waiya described the inauguration as a historic moment for Kano State, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting media reforms. He called on all online practitioners to embrace unity and professionalism, promising that all necessary support would be provided to strengthen the Chapel.
The formation of the Kano Online Media Chapel is seen as a major milestone aimed at uniting online journalists under one umbrella to ensure the delivery of authentic, reliable, and development-driven information to the public.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday nabbed a 60-year-old grandma Safiya Shamsu at Samegu area of Kumbotso LGA with 5.6kg skunk, a strain of cannabis.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Femi Babafemi announced this in a statement issued on Sunday.
The statement added that another suspect Muntari Labaran, 35, was taken into custody following the seizure of 100 litres of codeine syrup from him at Yalwa quarters of Dala LGA.
“In another major interdiction in Jigawa state with a follow up operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence on Wednesday 23rd April seized consignments of opioids being moved from Kano to Niger Republic and Yobe state through Jigawa.
“The psychoactive substances were being moved in a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked ABJ 182 NW at about 2:30am on Wednesday along Kano- Ringim road, Gumel town when anti-narcotic officers on patrol intercepted them with two suspects: Abba Ibrahim, 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29 arrested.
“Recovered from the Sienna vehicle were 200,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and 217,500 capsules of pregabalin. A swift follow up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the supplier, 41-year-old Jamilu Muhammad, at his residence located at Mil Tara, Layin Technical area of Kano while additional 1,584,000 pills of tramadol 250mg stacked inside a Nissan 18-seater bus marked DAL 372 XA and a room in his house were discovered and evacuated. This brings the total number of the recovered opioids to 2,001,500 pills,” the statement added.
While commending the officers and men of Kano,and some Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced that the airlift of pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise will officially commence on May 13, 2025.
The Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabi’u Danbappa, revealed this during an inspection visit to Hajj training centers in Ungogo and Bichi Local Government Areas.
The visit was part of the state’s preparations for a smooth and successful Hajj operation this year.
Alhaji Lamin Rabi’u stated that, according to the schedule released by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Kano State will be among the first to begin the airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using Max Air airline.
He emphasized that the Board had concluded all necessary arrangements ahead of time to guarantee a seamless transportation process and to ensure the welfare of pilgrims throughout the exercise.
Speaking during the visit, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Yusif Lawan, urged intending pilgrims to consistently attend the Hajj training sessions organized across the state.
He explained that the training was crucial for educating the pilgrims on the rites of Hajj and ensuring they perform the religious exercise properly.
Alhaji Yusif also cautioned pilgrims to comply fully with the guidelines set by both Nigerian authorities and Saudi Arabian officials to avoid any disruptions during the pilgrimage.
The Chairman, alongside board members, committee members, and directors, participated in the visit to assess the level of preparedness at the training centers.
The Board reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Kano pilgrims and ensuring a successful 2025 Hajj operation.
Dangambo Leads as NUJ Inaugurates Kano Online Media Chapel
NDLEA Intercepts over 2 million pills of tramadol in Kano
Kano Pilgrims board to Begin Airlift to Saudi Arabia May 13
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Governor Yusuf Signs Laws Establishing Four New Agencies in Kano
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