Traders drag union leaders to EFCC for alleged N700 million fraud

The Board of Trustees of the Kano Traders Union has dragged leaders of a group within the union before the Economic and Financial Crime Commission for allegedly refusing to account for N700 million belonging to the union.

The board had dissolved the leadership of the group, Kano Textile Market Association, led by Liti Kulkul, over various infractions, including alleged refusal to vacate office after its tenure elapsed last year.

The sacked leaders were also accused of illegal sale of the association’s landed property and other valuables.

In addition to referring the matter to the anti-corruption agency, the board of trustees, led by Bature AbdulAziz, obtained court orders restraining the sacked leaders from tampering with the assets, finances and properties of Kantin Kwari textile market.

Mr. AbdulAziz, who is also the president of the Harmonized National Traders Association, told reporters in Kano that a caretaker committee has been appointed to oversee the affairs of the market for the next three months, before the election of substantive leaders.

He said two other committees were also created to investigate how three buses, plots of land and other properties belonging to the market association disappeared.

The Chairman of the caretaker committee, Gambo Danpass, pledged to ensure the election of a responsible leadership for the association that will contribute to revenue generation of the state.

He said the sacked leadership failed to account for levies regularly collected from over 1000 shops and other temporary stalls across the market.

Several attempts to speak with the sacked chairman, Mr. Kulkul, were not successful as calls to his phone were either rejected or indicated his phone was switched off.