4 months ago
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The Kano State Government has charged a former commissioner for local government affairs, Murtala Garo, with embezzling N2.8 billion.
Mr Garo is the son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The state government charged Mr Garo and his brothers, Mustapha and Mohammed, before the state High Court for alleged diversion of the said amount when he served as commissioner under the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Ganduje.
Other defendants in the suit are Isah Kera, MJ Multipurpose Services Ltd, A.U Future Investment Ltd, and Shoreditch General Resources Ltd.
The state government alleged that the funds were diverted from the local government stabilisation funds and one per cent training fund.
It said the alleged offence contravenes Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Sections 121 (1), 123 (1) (a), 126 (b), and 377 of the Kano State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (2019).
The prosecution is led by Auwal Sani, acting under the authority of the state’s attorney-general in the suit dated 2 August 2023.
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The state government alleged that Mr Garo used the stolen funds to purchase properties in Saudi Arabia.
The government also alleged that Mr Garo embezzled the amount between April 2020 and May 2023 while he served as commissioner of local government and was charged with the receipt, custody and disbursement of the stabilisation funds belonging to the 44 local government areas of Kano State.
The judge, Amina Aliyu, adjourned the case to 31 July for a hearing.
Responding to the development, a counsel to Mr Garo, Sanusi Musa, alleged that the state government was persecuting officials who served under former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Mr Musa told reporters that several court judgements had barred the state’s anti-corruption and public complaints commission from investigating Mr Ganduje and his officials.
He cited a federal high court judgement that states such alleged offences can only be prosecuted by the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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