Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has accused a suspect under investigation for a N4 billion fraud of orchestrating his recent arrest to obstruct justice.
Speaking Ina television programme on Monday, Magaji revealed details of his arrest, which occurred following his agency’s investigation into a significant financial misconduct case involving the former Managing Director of Kano Agricultural Supply Company Limited (KASCO), Bala Muhammed Inuwa.
This investigation uncovered alleged misappropriations totaling N4 billion of Kano State Government funds.
Speaking further, Magaji emphasized that his arrest was a direct consequence of his agency’s uncompromising stance against corruption.
“When you fight corruption, corruption fights back,” he declared, addressing the challenges faced by anti-graft agencies in Nigeria.
According to Magaji, the arrest was instigated by relentless efforts from vested interests to derail the legal process.
He accused these entities of resorting to undue influence over law enforcement agencies to intimidate him.
“They activated federal agencies against me, aiming to undermine the ongoing legal proceedings,” Magaji asserted during the interview.
Detailing the sequence of events leading to his arrest, Magaji clarified that his agency had lawfully seized assets linked to the fraud case, including properties and bank accounts, as part of their investigation process.
This action, he explained, was in accordance with Section 40 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission regulations and was essential to safeguarding crucial evidence pending judicial review.
However, Magaji alleged that attempts were made by implicated parties to manipulate these assets illegally, prompting his agency to relocate them to secure locations to prevent tampering.
This precautionary measure, he suggested, provoked a retaliatory response leading to his apprehension by law enforcement personnel.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Magaji was detained at Zone One police headquarters in Kano before being abruptly transferred to Abuja, following orders allegedly issued by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
However, he was released later the same night, indicating the controversial nature of his arrest and the pressures exerted during the process.
The ongoing trial of Bala Muhammed Inuwa, scheduled at the Kano High Court since November 2023 under the supervision of Justice Hafsat Yahaya, has been a focal point in this tumultuous sequence of events.
Justice Yahaya had earlier ordered the temporary seizure of implicated properties and frozen bank accounts pending the trial’s conclusion, a decision now at the center of the escalating dispute.
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