The Kano State Government is currently embroiled in a deepening corruption scandal, ignited by reports that Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, the state’s Commissioner for Community and Rural Development, has allegedly confessed to authorizing a fraudulent payment of N1.17 billion. This admission, reportedly made during his interrogation by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), pertains to a payment approved in November 2023 for a contract that investigators assert never existed, while Abdulsalam served as the Accountant General.

This N1.17 billion payment forms a critical component of a broader suspected N6.5 billion fraud and money laundering scheme. Investigators allege that Mr. Abdulsalam conspired with Abdullahi Rogo, the director-general of protocol to Governor Abba Yusuf, to systematically divert state resources by channeling funds through various bureau de change (BDC) operators. According to ICPC documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, Abdulsalam reportedly facilitated the illicit payment using fabricated “letters of authority” supposedly issued by A.Y. Mai Kifi Oil and Gas Ltd. and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd.

However, the managing directors of both companies later disowned these contracts, stating to investigators that they had signed the documents under the instruction of the former accountant general. Despite admitting to authorizing the payments, Mr. Abdulsalam reportedly could not provide a clear explanation as to why the funds were routed to BDC firms.

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Witness statements reviewed by the newspaper shed light on the intricate money laundering operation. On November 9, 2023, a sum of N1.17 billion was directly drawn from Kano State’s Federation Account Allocation and subsequently transferred to BDC operators Gali Muhammad, managing director of Kazo Nazo, and Nasiru Adamu, managing director of Namu Nakune.

In a pivotal transaction, Mr. Muhammad reportedly handed $1 million in cash to Mr. Rogo at the Kano Liaison Office in Asokoro, Abuja. ICPC investigators have concluded that Abdulsalam and Rogo colluded to launder public funds through the currency market. The commission has since made significant progress, recovering N1.1 billion of the diverted money into its recovery account.

Mr. Abdulsalam’s alleged confession adds substantial weight to the ongoing Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and ICPC investigations into the purported N6.5 billion misappropriation of Kano State funds. Investigators believe that Mr. Rogo masterminded the extensive diversion scheme, moving state resources through a network of front companies, BDC outlets, and private accounts.

The ICPC has, to date, recovered a total of N1.3 billion linked directly to Mr. Rogo, encompassing funds allegedly laundered through corporate fronts and his personal accounts. Earlier reports by PREMIUM TIMES detailed how some BDC operators implicated Mr. Rogo, narrating in witness statements that they were instructed to convert large volumes of Kano State funds into dollars and return the cash to him.

In the face of these escalating allegations and accumulating evidence, the Kano State Government has consistently defended its officials. It has publicly described reports of the N6.5 billion scandal as “falsehoods” orchestrated by political adversaries aiming to discredit Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration. The government insists that all financial transactions within its various ministries and agencies are meticulously budgeted for and properly accounted for, stressing that no official has unauthorized access to funds.

Furthermore, the Yusuf administration has countered by accusing the opposition, specifically former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his associates, of financial recklessness. It claims that more than N20 billion was withdrawn through the Protocol Directorate in just three months, between February and May 2023, following theAll Progressives Congress (APC) losing power to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The current corruption scandal is not an isolated event but rather another chapter in a history of corruption allegations that have plagued successive administrations in Kano State. In 2018, former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje faced public scrutiny after a viral video allegedly depicted him receiving stacks of US dollars as kickbacks from contractors, which he was seen tucking into his traditional attire. Beyond this video, his government also contended with accusations of land grabbing and the unlawful takeover of public assets, allegations he has consistently denied.

Ganduje's predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is also under investigation by the EFCC, following a petition filed by the Concerned Kano State Workers and Pensioners. This group accused him of mismanaging approximately N10 billion in pension contributions between 2011 and 2015, in alleged violation of the state’s pension and gratuity law. The petitioners claim that Mr. Kwankwaso diverted these funds into a housing scheme and subsequently manipulated the arrangement to allocate houses to his associates shortly before vacating office in May 2015. Mr. Kwankwaso, who served two terms as governor and later as a senator for Kano Central, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Similarly, former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, along with ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Aminu Wali and Mansur Ahmed, faced trial on a six-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering involving N950 million. The EFCC accused them of receiving these funds, allegedly part of slush funds originating from former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the lead-up to the 2015 general elections.

Although they pleaded not guilty, EFCC investigators testified that the funds were collected from Fidelity Bank and distributed amongPeople's Democratic Party (PDP) members in Kano. In September 2019, Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Kano dismissed their no-case submission and ordered them to enter their defense. However, the case was reportedly terminated after the EFCC abandoned prosecution, effectively ending Mr. Shekarau’s trial.

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In light of these persistent corruption claims, civil society groups, organized under the Forum of Kano Civil Society Organisations Against Corruption, staged a public protest in Kano. On Thursday, they marched through major streets, declaring their steadfast support for the EFCC and ICPC and urging both agencies to steadfastly resist political interference, ensuring that all ongoing cases are pursued to their logical conclusion. The protesters specifically highlighted the N6.5 billion fraud allegation against Abdullahi Rogo, from whom the ICPC has reportedly recovered N1.3 billion.

They also drew attention to other significant controversies, including the diversion of federal palliatives, inflated contracts under ACRISAL, the N50,000 Women Cash Support Scheme, and questionable road projects. The CSOs critically accused the state government of attempting to downplay these serious allegations through propaganda instead of initiating comprehensive investigations.

They called upon the Kano State House of Assembly to launch an independent probe and urged the judiciary to guarantee impartial rulings in all corruption-related cases. However, the state Attorney General, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, stated that the state government, as a law-abiding entity, would refrain from reacting to the allegations or the calls by the CSOs, citing that the matter is currently before the court.