The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has arrested four individuals, including a senior aide to Governor Abba Yusuf, over the alleged misappropriation of N105 million.
The individuals taken into custody include Mustapha Maifada, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant, as well as three top officials from Nassarawa Local Government Area.
The arrested local government officials are identified as the council’s Director of Personnel Management, the Treasurer, and the Cashier. Their arrests were confirmed by PCACC Chairman, Muhuyi Rimin-Gado, who stated in a WhatsApp message on Tuesday, “Yes, the officials have been arrested and they are with us.”
Sources familiar with the case revealed that the alleged fraud stemmed from a payment order originally meant to disburse N105,000 for a specific program. However, instead of processing the approved amount, the officials reportedly issued a cheque for N105 million to Maifada in November 2024.
Acting on intelligence from financial monitoring systems, the anti-corruption agency launched an investigation into the matter.
During questioning, the detained officials claimed the N105 million payment was made in error. However, investigators are skeptical about this explanation, considering the time lapse since November 2024 and other evidence gathered in the case.
