Five former cabinet members in Kano State have taken legal action against the state government following the recovery of their official vehicles.
The plaintiffs include Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Commissioner for Youth and Sports and son of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alongside Nasiru Sule Garo (Special Duties), AVM Ibrahim Umar (Internal Security), Adamu Aliyu Kibiya (Humanitarian Affairs) and Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata (Science and Technology).
The former commissioners resigned collectively after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Court documents show that Umar filed suit NICN/KN/14/2026 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria against the Kano State Attorney General and two other parties. His lawyers alleged that operatives of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission forcibly entered his residence on February 26, disturbed his family and seized his official vehicle.
Umar is seeking the immediate return of the vehicle and the disclosure of officers involved in the operation.
In a separate statement issued on behalf of the affected officials, the ex-commissioners accused the government of intimidation and what they described as a “vindictive attitude.” They argued that under the Revised 2023 Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission Act, official vehicles form part of the entitlements of political officeholders.
The group also cited the case of a former transport commissioner, Ibrahim Ali Namadi, who was reportedly allowed to retain his official vehicle after resigning, insisting they deserve similar treatment.
They further alleged that government agents seized not only official vehicles but also personal cars belonging to their spouses while they were away, describing the action as a violation of their privacy and family sanctity.
However, the chairman of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Saidu Yahaya, maintained that the recovery exercise was carried out under a valid court order after the former commissioners failed to comply with directives to return the vehicles.
The ex-officials said the dispute should be resolved through the courts and urged their supporters to remain calm.
The controversy has heightened political tension in Kano, where Governor Yusuf’s defection and the mass resignation of cabinet members have deepened divisions between the ruling APC and Kwankwasiyya loyalists.
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