The former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development Egnr Idris Wada Saleh who served under former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje have been arrested and detained by the Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) over N1 billion fraud allegation.
Also, five other persons including, a Permanent Secretary and Directors have been arrested to aid investigations into the alleged fraud.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the amount was alleged to have been removed from government coffers a few days before swearing-in of the new government.
The anti-graft czar Muhyi Magaji Rimingado said that the money was removed in the name of constructing and renovating thirty roads across Kano, which has not been done.
“We are here in relation to an outright theft of N1 billion belonging to Kano state government through bogus companies.
“I can’t tell you the names of the companies off head right now and for investigation sake.
“The money was removed a month before handing over and it was removed under the pretext that it would be used for construction or rehabilitation of about thirty roads across Kano state.
“That is why we made some arrests including the commissioner of works who doubles as the Managing Director Kano Road Maintenance Agency (KARMA), I want you to take note of this.
“When we invited some of the Directors because we have the Bank details that indicated fraudulent activities, this ignited the Commission to look into it.
“We invited the Director Personnel, Planning and Statistics as well as the Director Finance, they confessed to the Commission that they were only under instructions to remove the money.
“There was no work done, nothing was done. So that prompted us to arrest the person that directed them. He is now with us and we are taking him to court” Rimingado stated.
Rimingado also affirmed that the arrested Perm Sec and Director confirmed to the Commission that they were instructed to sign the necessary documents that passed through their desks, which they did to protect their jobs.
Meanwhile, the investigation is on to get to the root of the matter and recover the allegedly stolen amount.