The fight against corruption in Nigeria is as perilous as taking on armed drug cartels abroad, a former Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) Chairman, Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, has warned.
Gado disclosed that he and his family endured 17 hours of harrowing experiences for daring to investigate a former governor for alleged embezzlement and fraud.
Speaking at the public presentation of the 19th edition of the Compendium on 100 Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria, Gado likened the threats and intimidation he faced to the violent tactics of Colombian drug cartels.
The event, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in Lagos to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, focused on mobilising youth against corruption under the theme: Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.
Gado recounted that his troubles began when he probed alleged mismanagement of billions of naira in state funds, questionable Public-Private Partnership projects, and fraudulent land rents linked to a former governor.
“I was bundled into a vehicle by armed policemen in the dead of night and driven from Kano to Abuja,” Gado revealed.
““If armed bandits had attacked, there was barely any chance we would have survived. The politicians I was investigating are as desperate and ruthless as the drug lords in Colombia.”
The former anti-graft chief warned that rampant corruption and the theft of public funds fuel poverty, human misery, and ultimately, insecurity in the North.
He said many young people are easily recruited into criminality because of the stagnant economy created by corrupt elites.
Gado further expressed concern over what he described as the politicisation of law enforcement, noting that some police officers were used to intimidate him while pursuing legitimate corruption cases.
“I had the authority from the attorney general to prosecute these matters. Why arrest me instead of addressing the crimes of the state?” he asked.
According to Gado, corruption in Nigeria is a cancer that must be excised through painful but necessary measures if the country is to regain its dignity and prosperity.
He urged Nigerians to use democratic tools, particularly voting, to oust corrupt leaders who have sold the people’s birthright.
The PCACC, which was established in April 2005, remains at the forefront of anti-corruption efforts in Kano, though its former chief lamented that law enforcement is often compromised by powerful, self-serving politicians.
“The fight against corruption is not just a moral duty; it is a battle for the survival and development of our nation,” Gado said.
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