Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has confirmed that the commission had extended an invitation to Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II to appear before it today over allegation of N2.2 billion land scam.
He, however, said the emirate requested for another day for the emir to honour the invitation.
Rimingafo said the commission would choose another day for the emir to appear before its investigative team.
“I am going to brief newsmen on the issue today and the commission would announce its position on this issue,” he assured.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported that the Emir was facing fresh investigation by the anti-graft agency over alleged sale of landed property belonging to the Kano Emirate Council.
Documents obtained by our reporter showed that the emirate entered a joint venture partnership with a private firm, Capital Properties Nigeria Limited (CPNL), for the development of one of the lands known as (Gandun Sarki) at Hotoro, in Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state.
The deal with CPNL was reached through a six-member committee set up by the emirate under the chairmanship of Jarman Kano, Professor Isa Hashim to coordinate the transaction.
Mr Usman Bello, the commission’s Director of Special Assignment/Communication Adviser, had earlier confirmed the development to journalists in Kano on Wednesday.
Bello disclosed that the investigation was triggered by some whistle blowers.
The director said Section 31 of the law establishing the commission empowered it to initiate such investigation and order any invitee to appear before it to defend him/her self from any allegation.
He said, in the course of investigation, the commission was made to understand that a company, Country Wide House Ltd, served as a corporate vehicle to allegedly launder N520 million as proceed of 20 Hectares of land at Darmanawa II.
According to him, the land in question, which was under formally Right of Occupancy CON-RES-2016-503, was illegally sold to Messrs Family Home Fund Limited at the alleged instance of the Emir of Kano (Sanusi ll).
He said investigation also revealed that all the alleged illegal transactions for the sales of the landed properties at Darmanawa, Hotoro and Bubbugaje belonging to the Emirate was done by the trio of Shehu Muhammad Dankadai (Sarkin Shanu), Sarki Abdullahi Ibrahim (Makaman Kano) and Mustapha Kawu Yahaya (Dan Isan Lapai) based on the alleged instruction of the Emir.
The spokesman explained that the trio were invited in the spirit of fair hearing and they visited the commission on several occasions to provide useful information.
“This Commission is investigating an alleged violation of the provision of Sections 22, 23 and 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended) in the management of land reserved as ‘GANDUN SARKI’ spread all over the state,” the commission noted in the letter to the emir.
A copy of the letter was stamped acknowledging receipt by the office of the Emir.
It could be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano had last month quashed the report of the commission that indicted the Emir over an allegation of N3.4 billion fraud from the Emirate Council fund.
Voiding the action of the commission, the court held that the fundamental human right of Sanusi II was violated because he was not given fair hearing.
The court said the failure of the commission to invite the Emir to defend himself against the allegations nullified any step taken or recommendation made by the commission.
Meanwhile, there are two pending cases before the Kano State High Court over the N3.4 billion fraud allegations against the emir being investigated by the commission.
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