Drug scam: Anti-graft agency quizzes LG chairmen
The Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday quizzed not less than three interim local government chairmen over their involvement in an alleged multibillion naira drugs contract scam.
Also, the owner of Novomed Pharmaceutical, Musa Garba, nephew to the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who had been in the custody of the commission for over 10 hours was subsequently released on bail about 9:30 pm and ordered to report to the anti-graft agenDrug scam: Anti-graft agency quizzes Kano LG chairmency on Monday.
Recall that N660m was part of N1.1bn approved by Governor Abba Yusuf for the 44 local government Areas to tackle water and medical supply challenges.
The approval covered projects scheduled for August, September and October 2024, with N1.1bn allocated each month while granting N25m to each local area.
Meanwhile, out of the N25m approved and released to each local government area in August, it was discovered that the caretaker chairmen were directed to remit N10m each to the account of Novomed Pharmaceuticals, a company said to be owned by Musa Garba, a nephew to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Furthermore, sources at the commission confided with Saturday PUNCH that the three local governments interim chairmen, who were being probed had confessed to their complicity in the misappropriation of funds.
According to the source, the interim administrators are Abdulaziz Sulaiman, (Kiru Local Government), Gambo Isa, (Garko Local Government) and Basiru Abubakar, (Bebeji Local Government).
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Similarly, 19 individuals,who are currently under custody and undergoing interrogation, include treasurers, HoD of WASH and other senior officials of different local government areas.
Prominent among them, are Nura Sani, Muhammad Sani, Ibrahim Sani, Usman Yusha’u, Muhammad Shehu, Ismail Yusuf and Muhammad Jamilu, Sani.
Others are, Kabiru Kawo, Nasir Adamu, Basiru, Abubakar, Danlami Mu’azu Sa’idu, Abdullahi, Muhammad Yako, Abubakar Muhammad, Abba Abdullahi, Gali Abdulkadir Jauro, Bashir Ibrahim Fandi, Garzali Abdu Sulaiman and Ibrahim Danguda.
They were alleged to have been involved in transferring money to individual accounts and in some cases, withdrawing cash, contrary to due process and procurement law.
However, an anonymous source at the Commission told the Punch that some of the cash have been traced to the accounts of some of the local government chairmen.
“We have started making recovery of the funds, as they are willingly returning same in the course of interrogation and investigation,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the three chairmen have also been granted administrative bail and directed to report to the Commission on Friday (today).
