‘How EFCC, ICPC allegedly traced N6.5bn to Kano gov’s aide’

Court documents have detailed how Nigeria’s top anti-graft bodies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),  traced an alleged diversion of N6.5 billion to the Director General of Protocol at Kano Government House.

According to a report by DAILY NIGERIAN, an investigation suggests that between November 2023 and February 2025, state funds were siphoned through a network of proxy companies, despite Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf’s public pledge of zero tolerance for corruption.

According to the documents, the DG protocol allegedly funneled money using about three companies.The funds, investigators say, were paid out for non-existent contracts, with portions later converted into U.S. dollars.

“In separate instances, two of the named companies were made to sign letters of authority by the then Kano State Accountant General, authorising Kano State Ministry of Water Resources to transfer the sums of N539,230,000.00 and N570,000,024.50, respectively, to the account of two bureau de change companies as payments for fictitious contracts.

The funds were then converted to US dollars and allegedly handed over  the Director General of Protocol, Government House Kano, in cash .

The ICPC has since recovered the sum of N1,109,230,000 from both companies to the ICPC recovery account,” an insider source was quoted as saying.

Justice M.N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano has now ordered the permanent forfeiture of N142.2 million remaining in that account to the ICPC.

Similarly, the DG protocol’s personal account reportedly processed N2.28 billion inflows and N2.26 billion withdrawals between January 2022 and January 2025.

Court papers also show that  other implicated parties initially made confessional statements but later sought to block their arrest and prosecution by filing a suit at the Kano State High Court, Bichi Division.
In their response, the ICPC and EFCC urged the court to strike out the case:

“That I also know as a matter of fact this action was brought mala fide with the aim of restraining the 1st Respondent by this Court from discharging its statutory mandates as captured under section 6[a] of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and from uncovering the truth of the matter.

“That it is in the interest of justice that the instant application be dismissed for lacking in merit and same being frivolous, vexatious, speculative and an abuse of court process,” said David Nelson Efut, an ICPC litigation officer.

(DAILY NIGERIAN)