Kano commission accuses Emir Sanusi of N3.4bn fraud, recommends his suspension

A few weeks after his domain was split into bits, the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has been accused of fraud.

In what many consider the political persecution of the emir by the Kano governor, Umar Ganduje, the Kano emirate was recently split into five by the state government, each with its own emir.

Now, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission says it has uncovered over N3.4 billion allegedly misappropriated by Mr Sanusi.

The alleged amount was said to have been misappropriated between 2014 and 2017.

This is contained in a preliminary report of investigation conducted by the commission and signed by its Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday.

According to the report, the investigation was in respect of a petition of financial misappropriation levelled against Kano Emirate Council under the present Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

The interim report raised four cardinal issues bordering on indictments, amount involved, obstruction of investigation and recommendations.

The report indicated that the Kano Emirate Council had spent over N1.4 billion in various expenditures believed to be fraudulent and unappropriated.

In addition, the Emirate Council was alleged to have spent over N1.9 billion unappropriated on seemingly personal expenditures, making the total sum of the questionable expenditures.

According to the report, the expenditures contravened the provisions of Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 8 of the Kano State Emirate Council Special Fund Law 2004.

Similarly, the expenditures had also violated Section 314 of Penal Code as well as provisions of Section 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended).

“It is also the opinion of this Commission, based on the available evidence, that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continued to undermine the investigation through various means which include giving instruction to all officers invited for clarification to shun the commission’s invitation.

“The act is seriously affecting the process of our statutory responsibility and offends the provisions of Section 25 of the Commission’s enabling Law 2008 (as amended),” the report said.

The report, therefore, recommended that the principal suspect in the person of Muhammadu Sanusi II and all other suspects connected with the case be suspended, pending the final outcome of the investigations.

“This is a necessary administrative disciplinary action aimed at preventing the suspects from further interfering with the commission’s investigations.

“The commission further recommends that the contract awarded to Tri-C Nigeria Limited for renovation of Babban Daki, Kofar Kudu and Gidan Sarki Dorayi should be revoked as the company belongs to one of the suspects in person of Alhaji Mannir Sanusi, (The Chief of Staff in the Emirate),” it said.

According to the report, the company failed to settle the sub-contractor, Cardinal Architecture Ltd, after being duly paid.

It further recommended that appropriate authority should be put in place to oversee the affairs of the Emirate Council in line with established statutes and policies, pending the final outcome of the commission’s investigations.

It also recommended that further legal action should be taken against all the suspects as soon as the final outcome of the investigations were concluded and legal advice accordingly issued.

Meanwhile, the Emirate Council is yet to react to this fresh development.

(NAN) MTM/MA/MST