Kano’s ₦6.5bn corruption scandal deepens as commissioner admits role

The corruption probe into Kano State’s finances has deepened after Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, Commissioner for Community and Rural Development, reportedly admitted to authorising a fraudulent payment of ₦1.17 billion while serving as Accountant General.

According to documents obtained by the ICPC, Abdulsalam approved the payment in November 2023 for a non-existent contract allegedly linked to oil companies. Investigators say the money was diverted through bureau de change (BDC) operators as part of a wider ₦6.5 billion fraud and money laundering scheme.

Witnesses told investigators the funds were converted into US dollars, with $1 million handed to Governor Abba Yusuf’s protocol chief, Abdullahi Rogo, in Abuja.

The ICPC has since recovered ₦1.1 billion of the diverted funds.

This development adds to mounting evidence implicating Rogo, who is accused of masterminding the diversion of billions through front companies, private accounts, and BDC operators. So far, anti-graft agencies have recovered at least ₦1.3 billion linked to him.

Despite the revelations, the Kano State Government has dismissed reports of the scandal as politically motivated attacks, insisting all transactions were budgeted for and properly documented.

It instead accused the previous administration of Abdullahi Ganduje of mismanaging over ₦20 billion in the months before leaving office.

Kano State has long been dogged by corruption controversies spanning successive administrations—from Ganduje’s viral “dollar bribe” video to investigations into Rabiu Kwankwaso over alleged pension fund mismanagement, and Ibrahim Shekarau’s abandoned trial for a ₦950 million money laundering case.

The unfolding scandal under Governor Abba Yusuf now risks deepening Kano’s reputation as a hotspot for high-profile political corruption.