Police arrest governor’s aide, one other for diverting palliatives

The operatives of the Kano State Police Command have arrested Tasiu Al’amin-Roba, a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, and one Abdulkadir Muhammad for alleged diversion of the state’s palliatives.

The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Hussaini Gumel, made the disclosure in Kano on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

The police commissioner said the suspects were arrested at a warehouse in the Sharada area of Kano with over 200 empty bags.

He said the suspects were repackaging the rice and maize at the warehouse.

“We have since commenced intensive investigation to find out how many bags of maize or rice were repackaged and sold,” Gumel added.

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Gumel said the two suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

This is coming after the Kano State Government disclosed that it uncovered a warehouse where food items meant for palliatives were being diverted in the state.

The Press Secretary, Bature Dawakin-Tofa, who made this known in a statement on Sunday, said the warehouse was at Sharada Industrial Estate in Kano.

Dawakin-Tofa said Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, and the government officials were conducted round the isolated warehouse where the hijacked palliatives were kept alongside some chemicals.

The governor expressed shock and vowed to punish whoever was involved in the scandalous act of diverting the palliative food items consisting of maize and rice.

He immediately directed the Kano State Commissioner of Police to take over the warehouse and conduct a swift investigation to fish out the culprits.

It was gathered that the development occurred following a tip-off from some community members in Sharada who discovered suspicious movement of unknown persons around the warehouse and reported the matter to the Sharada Police Division.

While briefing Yusuf on the spot at the warehouse, one of the Sharada community leaders, Rabiu Amour, said thousands of bags branded with the governor’s portrait and designed as palliatives were discovered to be re-bagged.

The Star