N4.1bn fraud: EFCC recovers, hands over 324 houses to Kano pensioners

The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over documents of properties and 324 houses recovered for Kano State pensioners to them.

The EFCC said the handing over of the houses, occasioned by a final forfeiture order granted by Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, was a result of successful investigations carried out by the anti-graft agency over a N4.1 billion Pension Trust Fund contributed by the pensioners to own houses, which was denied them by two successive administrations in Kano State.

The commission, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Monday, March 18, 2024, said it investigated a petition by Concerned Kano State Workers and Pensioners of alleged misappropriation of pension funds in the state.

Oyewale said the EFCC’s findings revealed that the state government entered into a tripartite agreement with the Kano State Pension Trust Fund to build housing estates for N41 billion, out of which the Pension Trust Fund was to contribute N4.1 billion.

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He added: “However, the contribution of the pensioners was used to build the houses in three estates located in Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo city, Sheikh Nasiru Kabara (Amana) city and Sheikh Khalifa Ishaq Rabiu city, all in Kano State and two former governors of the state fraudulently discounted and sold the houses to their cronies and associates, leaving the pension trustees with low budget and uncompleted houses.

“The EFCC stepped in and upon completion of investigation, filed for and acquired a final forfeiture order of the 324 properties to the Kano State Pension Fund Trustees.”

While handing over the documents of the 324 properties worth N4.1 billion to the pensioners on Monday, March 18, the Abuja Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Adeniyi Adebayo, assured that the commission would continue to do its best to rid the nation of fraudulent practices.

The representatives of the Kano State Pension Board, Hassan Muhammed Aminu, Kubra Ahmad Bichi, and Salisu Yakubu Abubakar who received the documents on behalf of the workers and pensioners, expressed joy with the EFCC for assisting them in recovering their houses.

The Star