Five allegations Kano anti-graft agency made against Emirate Council

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission investigated allegations of financial misappropriation by Kano Emirate Council under the Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II from 2013 to 2017.

The anti-agency said it suspended the investigation in 2017 after a letter seeking “clarification for the investigation” was sent to the state house of assembly speaker was duly acknowledged but never replied.

The commission said it decided to re-open and continue with its investigation later.

In its latest findings in a 19-page preliminary report, the anti-graft agency accused the Kano Emirate Council under the Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II of financial misappropriations.

Here are the allegations against the Emirate Council

Awarded Contracts to 21 shell companies
According to the commission’s investigation, huge sums of money were transferred to some banks accounts which were claimed to be companies’ accounts. The commission said the companies appeared to be unregistered with the Corporate Affairs Commission or dormant that cannot appear in the public search of the companies register.

Investigations also show that the unregistered companies are linked to some identified suspects in the emirate council. The investigation will later reveal the beneficial owners of those entities.

N117 million to fuel  generators in four years

The commission revealed that the Kano Emirate council expended N117 million fuelling generators from 2014 to 2017. It said the council expended N43 million in 2014, N39 million in 2015, N22 million in 2016 and N12 million in 2017.

While the huge sum spent is no reason for the questioning, the commission is interested in the disparity in the amount involved.

“The ratio at which the fuel was consumed from 43 to 22 Million called for suspicion and indicated acts of misappropriation and fraud,” the report signed by Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado said.

N54 million expended on airtime and data
For a period of 4 years, 2014 to 2017, the commission accused the Kano Emirate Council of spending N54,111,055.00 on payment for airtime data subscription to Airtel Network Ltd. mostly on personal phone numbers.

N144 million on hotel accommodation and flight tickets
The commission said N144,362,381 was spent on hotel accommodation, payment of chartered Aircraft and payment of air tickets by the Kano State Emirate Council from 2014 to 2017.

The agency noted that while N30,762,000 was spent on Chartered flights, the sum of N113,600,381 was spent on hotel accommodation and air ticket for the Emir’s travels.

The commission said the purpose of the expenditure is still unknown.

N105 million to an individual account 
The commission’s preliminary investigation report also revealed that N105,595,755.00 was sent from the Emirate Council’s account to an individual account bearing the name of one Engr. Sunusi Tijani, the Technical Officer to the Emirate Council at United Bank for Africa (UBA), between 2014-2017.

The report stated that of all the N105,595,755 sent to the account, virtually all the money were withdrawn personally (self-withdrawal). “This is a red flag for corruption and there is no way an individual, not a corporate entity will attract such payments from Government at different intervals in a legitimate transaction.”