Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and human rights lawyer, Abba Hikima, have urged the Kano State Government to come clean on the alleged diversion of N6.5 billion, stressing that mere denials cannot clear the scandal.

They said Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, which was elected on the promise of zero tolerance for corruption, must either present concrete evidence to exonerate itself or prosecute any officials found culpable.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had reportedly uncovered N6.5 billion allegedly traced to the Director-General of Protocol, Government House, Kano, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo.

Documents obtained by Daily Nigerian revealed that Mr. Rogo allegedly siphoned funds between November 2023 and February 2025 using H\&M Nigeria Limited, A.Y. Maikifi Petroleum, and Ammas Oil and Gas Limited for fictitious contracts. The funds were reportedly diverted through bureau de change operators and delivered in cash.

According to investigators, A.Y. Maikifi Petroleum and Ammas Oil and Gas Limited allegedly received N1.17 billion from the Kano State Federation Allocation Accounts, with transfers authorised by the then Accountant General, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir.

“The ICPC has since recovered the sum of N1,109,230,000 from both companies to the ICPC recovery account,” an insider said.

Mr. Rogo also reportedly operated an account with Alternative Bank under AH Bello Business Solutions Limited, which recorded N3.06 billion inflows and N2.59 billion outflows between August 2024 and February 2025.

Justice M.N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano, has since ordered the forfeiture of N142.2 million from the account to the ICPC.

Investigators also discovered that his Zenith Bank personal account recorded N2.28 billion inflows between January 2022 and January 2025, with a remaining balance of N39.3 million.

Another corporate account, A.A. Rogo Nigeria Limited, reportedly received N54.1 million. Both accounts are frozen.

Court filings showed Rogo and other suspects made confessional statements but later sought to restrain their arrest through a suit at the Kano State High Court, Bichi Division.

In a counter-affidavit, ICPC officer David Nelson Efut said the suit was “frivolous, vexatious, speculative and an abuse of court process.”

Govt blames opposition

But the Kano State Government has dismissed reports alleging the diversion of N6.5 billion from the state treasury, describing them as “falsehoods sponsored by desperate political opponents.”

In a statement on Monday, the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said the claims were part of a smear campaign to discredit officials ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the ongoing case at the High Court involves the Director-General of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, but stressed that the Protocol Directorate is strictly administrative and does not directly handle state funds.

According to him, all financial transactions are budgeted and executed with designated codes under the governor’s approval.

Bature said the directorate’s functions cover logistics, welfare, accommodation, itineraries, and hosting of dignitaries, often involving large expenditures subject to due process.

The statement accused the opposition of using petitions and misinformation to tarnish the NNPP-led government, while recalling corruption allegations, including the “dollar video scandal,” against former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Civic groups and the lawyer rejected the state government’s stance, saying shifting blame to the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Ganduje is “not enough and unacceptable.”

Human rights lawyer Abba Hikima said, “We fought against Ganduje’s administration because of corruption allegations. If Abba’s government is now being accused of the same, after promising zero tolerance for corruption, it must defend itself with verifiable facts or take action against those involved.”

The lawyer listed weighty issues raised in the case, including claims that the suspect allegedly confessed in a written statement, while a court had already ordered the forfeiture of part of the funds.

He also noted reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered over N1 billion from the suspect and deposited it into government accounts.

Other concerns, Hikima added, included allegations of public funds being moved into a private account before diversion, and suspicious foreign currency transactions with Abuja-based Bureau de Change operators, carried out beyond legal limits and without due process.

He maintained that these allegations must be addressed “point by point” rather than dismissed through blanket denial.

“Opposition parties will naturally raise issues, but it is the duty of the government to respond transparently and safeguard its anti-corruption credentials. Any administration that campaigned on rejecting corruption carries the heavy burden of addressing such allegations convincingly,” Hikima said.

Also, the League of Civil Society Organizations in Kano urged the state government to suspend and prosecute officials named in corruption scandals.

In a statement signed by 19 leaders, including Comrade Bala Abdullahi, Yushau Sani Yankuzo, Muhammad Bello and Adeniyi Aremu, the group warned that the scandal “casts shadows on the integrity of governance in the state and threatens to erode public trust, economic stability and credibility of development efforts.”

The coalition recalled that in July, ICPC concluded investigations into a N1.02 billion laundering scheme allegedly involving the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof. Sani Lawan Malumfashi, its Secretary Anas Mustapha, and a Deputy Director, Ado Garba.

The group said allowing indicted officials to remain in office undermines due process.

Meanwhile, the group claimed its members are facing harassment for demanding accountability.

In another statement, the coalition alleged that two members were coerced into withdrawing their stance after pressure on their families.

“These measures include the use of state apparatus to intimidate our organizations,” it said.

They called on Governor Yusuf to suspend officials under investigation, urged security agencies to protect activists, and appealed to the international community to monitor what it described as “shrinking civic space in Kano.”

Scandals too many – Ibrahim Little

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Kano governorship candidate, Ibrahim Ali Amin (popularly known as Ibrahim Little), has accused Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration of presiding over increasing corruption scandals.

In a statement on Tuesday, Little said the latest report alleging that anti-graft agencies, the EFCC and ICPC, traced N6.5 billion to the account of the governor’s Director of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, was disturbing and required urgent action from the state government.

He said the case was not an isolated development, recalling similar allegations of diversion of local government funds through the purchase of drugs from NOVOMED, a company allegedly linked to a nephew of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

According to him, the drugs were neither supplied nor available in government hospitals, raising questions of transparency.

“These are not mere accusations; they represent legal actions and court proceedings, which is disturbing,” he said.

He faulted Governor Yusuf’s repeated reference to alleged financial mismanagement by the immediate past administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, including the claim that N20 billion was spent on protocol in three months.

“Two wrongs do not make a right. Governor Yusuf must rise to the occasion and stop the massive looting of public funds. It is not enough to blame past administrations,” he said.

Little warned that the economic hardship facing Nigerians required prudent management of resources, stressing that public funds were a sacred trust that must be handled with integrity and fear of God.

Ganduje camp responds

However, former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s aide, Muhammad Garba, rejected attempts to link his principal to alleged financial misconduct.

He said, “Governor Ganduje completed his tenure with integrity, diligence, and a steadfast commitment to the people of Kano State. References to alleged scandals are false and politically charged.”

Garba urged the Yusuf administration to “stop using Ganduje’s name for political attacks or personal agendas.” (Daily Trust)