The anti-corruption commission said those 'found wanting' would be charged in court.
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested a former commissioner of works and infrastructure, Idris Saleh, over an alleged N1 billion fraud.
Mr Saleh, who served in the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Ganduje, is being investigated by the commission, alongside five other officials, for allegedly withdrawing the amount for a project that was not executed. The project was said to have been approved at the end of Mr Ganduje's administration.
The spokesperson for the anti-corruption commission, Kabir Abba, confirmed the arrest to reporters in Kano. He said those found wanting would be charged to court.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered from insiders that the former commissioner, who was also the Managing Director of the Kano Road Maintenance Agency, was arrested on Monday with five top officials of the ministry for allegedly withdrawing over N1 billion for the rehabilitation of 30 roads and drainages in the metropolis.
The commission said the projects were not done.
Government insiders, who asked not to be named because they have no permission to speak with the media, said the amount was withdrawn in three batches and paid to three companies on 25 April.
"The Public Procurement Bureau even issued a certificate of no objection for the contract after the payment was made ten days earlier, contrary to the Kano State Procurement Act 2021.
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"The companies are bogus, having almost the same letter headed without tentative office.
"The due process office said the certificate of no objection was issued because Kano Road Maintenance Agency said the rehabilitation of the roads would be carried out through direct labour, but the papers submitted read otherwise," one of the sources said.
The Abba Yusuf-led administration has accused his predecessor of entrenching irregularities during his tenure between 2015 and 2023.
Mr Yusuf of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) said he is bent on reversing what he claims were illegal decisions and policies of the Ganduje administration.
Mr Ganduje is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The NNPP government has also revoked some certificates of occupancy and demolished several properties sold by the Mr Ganduje administration.
The state government said all government properties within and outside the state sold by the former administration were illegal because the government sold them to cronies of top officials.
Mr Yusuf's administration recently reinstated the state's anti-corruption agency chairman, Muyi Magaji, who was sacked by Mr Ganduje in 2021.
The state's spokesperson of the APC, Ahmad Aruwa, did not return several calls and text messages sent to his known phone number asking for comments about the commissioner's arrest.
