Centre for Awareness on Good Governance and Development-CAGGAD

24/08/2025

*LEAGUE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN KANO STATE*

August 23, 2025

PRESS STATEMENT

*KANO STATE AT A CROSSROADS: CIVIL SOCIETY DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY AMIDST ALARMING CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS*

In recent weeks, Kano State has been rocked by two deeply troubling revelations involving senior government officials accused of syphoning billions of naira in public funds. These allegations, brought forward by Nigeria’s foremost anti-graft agencies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have cast a dark shadow over the integrity of governance in the state and threaten to erode public trust, economic stability, and the credibility of development efforts.

On July 18, 2025, the Nigerian Tribune reported that the ICPC had concluded investigations into a ₦1.02 billion money laundering scheme allegedly orchestrated by the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, alongside the Commission’s Secretary, Anas Mustapha, and a Deputy Director in the Accounts Department, Ado Garba. According to the ICPC, the trio conspired to transfer over ₦1 billion from KANSIEC’s Unity Bank account to a private company, SLM Agro Global Farm, under the guise of facilitating payments to ad hoc electoral staff. The commission’s findings revealed that the banking system had already successfully disbursed payments to electoral officers, rendering the cash transaction not only unnecessary but a deliberate attempt to circumvent financial regulations and launder public funds.

Barely a month later, on August 22, 2025, the Daily Nigerian exposed another scandal involving the Director General of Protocol, Government House Kano, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, who stands accused of diverting ₦6.5 billion in state funds through a network of shell companies and bureau de change operators. The EFCC and ICPC investigations uncovered that Mr. Rogo used companies such as H&M Nigeria Limited, A.Y. Maikifi Petroleum, and Ammas Oil and Gas Limited to channel funds for fictitious contracts. These funds were then converted to U.S. dollars and handed over in cash, bypassing all formal accountability mechanisms. Court documents revealed that Mr. Rogo’s personal and corporate bank accounts recorded suspicious inflows and outflows amounting to billions of naira, prompting the Federal High Court in Kano to order the permanent forfeiture of ₦142.2 million and freeze multiple accounts linked to the scandal.

*A Pattern of Abuse and the Erosion of Public Trust:*
These cases are not isolated incidents. They reflect a disturbing pattern of systemic abuse of public office, where state institutions are weaponised for personal enrichment. The implications are far-reaching and devastating:

1. *Collapse of Public Trust:* The people of Kano State, who entrusted this administration with their votes and hopes, are now confronted with betrayal. When elected officials and senior bureaucrats are implicated in grand corruption, it signals a breakdown of the social contract and breeds cynicism, apathy, and disillusionment among citizens.

2. *Threat to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):* Investors seek stability, transparency, and accountability. The exposure of high-level corruption sends a clear message to potential foreign investors: Kano State may not be a safe or reliable destination for capital. This undermines efforts to attract investment that could create jobs, boost infrastructure, and stimulate economic growth.

3. *Loss of Development Partnerships:* International donors, NGOs, and development agencies operate on trust. The fear that funds may be misappropriated discourages collaboration and jeopardises ongoing and future projects aimed at improving education, healthcare, water access, and poverty alleviation.

4. *Institutional Decay:* When electoral commissions and government houses, pillars of democratic governance, are implicated in corruption, it weakens the very institutions that uphold democracy. It also demoralises honest public servants and creates a culture of impunity.

5. *Youth Disenfranchisement:* The youth, who represent the future of Kano State, are watching. These scandals reinforce the perception that merit, integrity, and hard work are irrelevant in a system dominated by corruption. These risks alienating young people from civic engagement and public service.

*Our Demands:*
As the third sector, civil society organizations in Kano State have a moral and constitutional duty to speak truth to power. The League of CSOs in Kano State, therefore calls on the State Government to take the following urgent steps:

1. *Immediate Suspension and Prosecution:* All officials implicated in these scandals must be suspended from office pending the outcome of investigations. The government must cooperate fully with the ICPC and EFCC to ensure swift and transparent prosecution.

2. *Independent Audit of State Finances:* An independent forensic audit of all state ministries, departments, and agencies should be commissioned to uncover any additional cases of financial misappropriation.

3. *Strengthening Oversight Mechanisms:* The State Assembly must strengthen its oversight functions and ensure that budgetary allocations are monitored and evaluated rigorously.

4. *Public Disclosure and Transparency:* The government must publish quarterly financial reports detailing revenue, expenditure, and procurement processes to rebuild public confidence.

5. *Protection of Whistleblowers:* Individuals who expose corruption must be protected from retaliation and intimidation. A whistleblower protection framework should be enacted and enforced.

6. *Engagement with Civil Society:* The government should establish a formal platform for regular dialogue with NGOs, community leaders, and watchdog groups to promote participatory governance.

*Conclusion:*
Kano State stands at a crossroads. The choice before us is clear: either we confront corruption head-on and restore integrity to public office, or we allow the rot to deepen, risking the collapse of our institutions and the future of our children. The League of CSOs in Kano State, will not remain silent. We will continue to monitor, advocate, and mobilise until accountability is achieved and justice is served.

We urge the good people of Kano to remain vigilant, demand transparency, and hold their leaders to the highest standards of integrity. Corruption is not just a crime; it is a betrayal of every child who goes to school without books, every patient who visits a hospital without medicine, and every citizen who dreams of a better tomorrow.

*About the League of Civil Society Organizations in Kano State:*
The League of Civil Society Organizations in Kano State is a coalition of civil society organizations committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusive development across the state. Established as a unified platform for advocacy, policy engagement, and community empowerment, the League brings together diverse non-governmental actors working in education, health, governance, human rights, and humanitarian response. Through coordinated action and strategic partnerships, the League of CSOs serves as a watchdog, a voice for the marginalised, and a catalyst for positive change, ensuring that public institutions uphold the values of integrity and service to the people of Kano State.

*Endorsed by:*
1. Comrade Bala Abdullahi Gaduwama – Wuro Development Concerns (WDCN)

2. Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Esq. – Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN)

3. Mohammed Bello – African Centre for Innovative Research and Development (Afri-CIRD)

4. Abdullahi Y. Sule – Youth and Environmental Development Association (YEDA)

5. Adeniyi Aremu - Civil Society Organization for Conflict Resolution in Nigeria (CS-CRIN)

6. Comrade Fatima A. Ibrahim – United Action for Democracy (UAD), Kano State

7. Muhammad Yahaya – Youth Empowerment and Human Development (YEHDI)

8. Abba Bello Ahmed – Campaign for Democracy (CD), Kano State

9. Comrade Sani Ibrahim Narogo – Joint Action Front (JAF), Kano State

10. Comrade Moh’d Sani Garba – Pay it Forward Initiative

11. Fatima Muhammad – Nigerian Environmental Society (NES)

12. Aminu Sani Muhammad, Esq. – Rule of Law and Justice Advancement Network (ROLJAN)

13. Fatima Badamasi Ibrahim – Gender Support and Youth Empowerment Initiative (GENSAYE)

14. Buhari Abubakar Usman – Centre for Legal Orientation and Humanitarian Aid (CELOHA)

15. Abdullahi Yahaya, Esq. – Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Kano State

16. Hafiz A. Wali, Esq. – Rise Up Youth Initiative (RUYI)

17. Comrade Auwal Salisu – Centre for Awareness Reorientation and Empowerment (CARE-Africa)

18. Umar Isa Sulaiman, Esq. – Frontier for Gender Advocacy, Accountability & Empowerment Initiative

19. Maryam Garba Usman – Centre for Gender and Social Inclusion (CAGSI)

20. Fatima Chabir Aliyu, Esq. – Community Based Equal Justice Initiative

26/07/2025

DRUG BARON BAIL SCANDAL: CALL FOR IMMEDIATE SACKING AND INVESTIGATION OF COMMISSIONER NAMADI
As a concerned citizen of Kano State, I am compelled to publicly call on His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to walk the talk by immediately sacking the Commissioner for Transport, Hon Ibrahim Namadi, following his controversial decision to stand as surety for a suspected illicit drug peddling warlord, Sulaiman Aminu Danwawu.
From the available document, the Hon Commissioner deposed to an affidavit of means and deposited a substantial sum of N5 Million, with the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court to secure the release on bail of the notorious Danwawu, a man widely known in Kano as an infamous figure in the drug trafficking circles. The act of standing surety for such an individual by a member of the State Executive Council underscores the general belief of the public that politicians in high places aid and abet the increasing menace of drug abuse and thuggery in the State.
While standing as surety is not an illegality in itself and is within the right of every individual to stand as surety for any accused person, it has to be emphasised that a commissioner is not a private citizen in the eyes of the law. His actions, by extension, are the actions of the Governor. As a member of the Executive Council, Hon Namadi represents the philosophy of the Kano State Government.
I may not be entirely wrong if I say that no family is not, one way or the other, not affected by the menace of drug abuse. And indeed, it has a connection with the alarming rise in violent thuggery among our youths in the State. The streets of our cities are increasingly unsafe, and much of the insecurity is rooted in the unchecked spread of illicit drugs.
More worrisome is the face-saving statement issued by the Hon Commissioner claiming that he has no personal relationship with the suspect who is now allegedly on the run. The basis for standing surety is that the accused is personally known to the surety. It is a vote of confidence in the suspect standing trial by the surety. He is stating that the accused has a good character. It is based on the assurance that a Court allows the accused to go on bail. Suppose the Commissioner is now saying he does not know the suspect, whom he vouched for as having good character before the court. In that case, the only plausible explanation for this is that the Commissioner deliberately misled the court to pave the way for the accused's escape, since the consequence is forfeiting only the sum of N5 million. This cannot be far-fetched, going by the careful manner in which the depositions of the commissioner were couched in the affidavit of means by avoiding the use of words that suggest personal knowledge of the suspect.
If, indeed, the commissioner has no personal relationship with the suspect as he claimed, it is now more incumbent on the Commissioner and the Government to explain the source of the ₦5 million deposited to secure the suspect's bail. This is a matter of transparency and accountability. A commissioner of government cannot discreetly deposit such a large amount of money with the intent to forfeit it to secure the release of a person not known to him. Now that the suspect is reported to have jumped bail, more questions need to be answered.
1. Did the Governor sanction the action of the Commissioner?
2. If the Governor disapproved of the action of the commissioner, why is he still being retained in his position?
3. What is the relationship between the suspect and the commissioner?
4. What is the source of the N5 million naira deposited by the surety?
Citizens deserve an explanation from the Government, and providing answers to the above may clarify some grey areas in the commissioner's actions. As it stands now, unless the source of the N5 million is explained and it is proven to be from a legitimate source, a reasonable suspicion of money laundering hangs around the commissioner's neck. Let Kano State not just be known for symbolic rallies against drugs, but for unwavering accountability in public office, beginning with the highest levels of the government.

Sunusi Musa SAN

27/08/2024

Happy birthday Leader!

27/06/2024

Congratulations on Your Election as Secretary General of NBA Kano Branch.

Dear Barrister Aminu Sani Muhammad,

On behalf of the Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF), accept our heartfelt congratulations to you on your election as the new Secretary General of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Kano Branch. Your victory is not only a testament to your legal acumen but also a recognition of your unwavering commitment to justice, transparency, and accountability.

As the Assistant Secretary General of the KCSF, you have consistently demonstrated leadership, dedication, and a passion for promoting education and gender-responsive policies. Your experience in the development sector positions you well to contribute meaningfully to the legal profession and our community.

We are confident that your tenure will be marked by integrity, inclusivity, and positive reforms. Together, we can work towards a more just and equitable society, where the rule of law prevails and the rights of all citizens are protected.

Once again, congratulations, Barrister Aminu! May your term be filled with impactful achievements and transformative initiatives.

Warm regards,

Signed
President, Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF)

Salisu Yusuf
Secretary General
Kano Civil Society Forum

10/06/2024

08/06/2024

The Kano Civil Society Forum is holding elections today to elect new leaders. This is a significant achievement in democratizing the forum after over 8 years of stalled elections due to sit-tight leadership. I congratulate the comrades who persevered in pushing for this. Honestly, I doubted the leadership's sincerity in agreeing to an election, as they have continued to push for postponement up to today, they are hell bent on not allowing elections to hold. This is why I had to step back as I have other responsiblities, recognizing the delay tactics being employed. However, holding the election will enhance the KCSF's acceptance and credibility. The interim management should allow members to exercise their civic responsibility, we hope for a successful election today. I am on my way to cast my vote. Congratulations to all!

Rabiu Shamma

19/02/2024

Lectures Commence at Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University, Kano (KHAIRUN)

Lectures have commenced at Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University, Kano (KHAIRUN) with a notable ceremony held at the university premises in Gadonkaya, Kano city. The inaugural event saw the presence of esteemed lecturers, members of the university senate, and pioneer students.

The ceremony, which took place today on the 19th of February 2024, was inaugurated by Professor Abdulrashid Garba, the Vice Chancellor of the University. Also in attendance were distinguished figures including Professor Salisu Shehu, the Vice Chancellor of Al Istiqama University, and Malam Rabiu Shamma, Schools Coordinator at Sheikh Muhammadu Rabiu Islamic Foundation International.

The gathering marked a significant milestone for KHAIRUN, signaling the beginning of a new academic journey characterized by dedication and scholarly pursuits. As the university sets forth on its academic voyage, it promises to uphold the values of excellence, religious and moral virtues and innovation in higher education.

Admission is still open for interested students to join the emerging citadel of knowledge. Prospective students are encouraged to seize this opportunity to become part of the vibrant academic community at Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University, Kano.

Stay tuned for further developments and insights as KHAIRUN embarks on its educational odyssey.

06/01/2024

Congratulations Comrade Isma'il A. Hussain Kanye for successfully completing your degree program at Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano.

Ismail's zeal for acquiring this degree is remarkable, he may be one of the older members of his class, but you cannot differentiate his effort with his younger colleagues as he participates in all school activities with gusto!

Allah ya bada Nasara, yasa albarka, Amin.

Rabiu Shamma

22/12/2023

Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Maryam is no more, I call him Sir IG, a consistent fighter for the masses, Allah rest his soul!

Janaza holds today, 1 pm at Hadejia Road, Kano.

31/07/2023

Admission Open at the New Sheikh Muhammadu Rabiu Schools.

Secondary, Primary and Islamiyya Sections, Goron Dutse, Kano.

13/07/2023

President Tinubu’s N500 Billion Palliative Package: Aiming for Effective Utilization

By Rabiu Shamma.

President Bola Tinubu's letter to the the National Assembly for the amendment of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act to allocate N500 billion towards funding palliative measures against the impact of fuel subsidy removal has sparked discussions across the nation. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I believe the request will be granted.

Past administrations have allocated significant sums of money for similar purposes, like the Covid-19 Palliatives, with little visible impact and concerns about misappropriation, the success of this proposal hinges on ensuring transparency and effective utilization of funds. This piece examines key sectors that could benefit from the palliative package and offers suggestions on how to maximize the impact for the citizens.

Public Transport

Improving public transportation is crucial for ensuring affordable and accessible mobility for all citizens. The allocation of funds can be directed towards initiatives such as subsidizing public transportation fares, improving existing transport infrastructure, and expanding public transport networks to serve more areas. To ensure transparency, rigorous monitoring mechanisms should be implemented, with regular audits of expenditures and the involvement of civil society organizations.

Civil Servants

Recognizing the importance of the civil service in delivering public services, part of the palliative package could be channeled towards uplifting civil servants. This could involve salary increases, performance-based incentives, and capacity-building programs to enhance their efficiency and productivity. Implementing transparent mechanisms for disbursement and tracking the utilization of these funds would be crucial.

Business People

Supporting businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is vital for economic growth and job creation. The palliative measures could include financial assistance programs, grants, and tax incentives to stimulate business activities, especially in sectors directly affected by the fuel subsidy removal. Ensuring the selection criteria for beneficiaries are clear and fair, and establishing clear reporting mechanisms, will promote transparency and prevent favoritism.

Youth and Women

Targeted initiatives for youth and women can help address unemployment and promote inclusive economic growth. The palliative package could include skill development programs, entrepreneurship training, and access to affordable credit. Establishing a transparent application process and tracking the progress and outcomes of these programs would ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive support and opportunities.

Education

Investing in education is essential for building a prosperous future. The palliative measures could encompass scholarships, grants, and the improvement of educational infrastructure to enhance learning environments. Transparent selection criteria for scholarship recipients, proper oversight of fund allocation, and regular evaluation of educational institutions' performance are necessary to achieve the desired outcomes.

In conclusion, President Bola Tinubu's proposal for a N500 billion palliative package to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal presents an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of Nigerian citizens. However, to ensure its effectiveness and prevent misappropriation, transparency and accountability must be prioritized at every stage, from fund allocation to utilization and monitoring. By focusing on sectors such as public transport, civil servants, business people, youth and women, and students, the palliative measures can have a direct and positive impact on the lives of Nigerians. It is crucial that the National Assembly, government agencies, and civil society work collaboratively to design and implement robust systems that guarantee the optimal utilization of the funds and the delivery of meaningful results.

Rabiu Shamma,
Kano.
13/7/2023.

05/07/2023

https://dailytrust.com/empowering-the-youth-six-low-hanging-fruits-for-president-tinubu/ by Rabiu Shamma

Thanks to Daily Trust for wider reach.

President Bola Tinubu’s tenure brings forth immense potential for reinvigorating the economy, bolstering young people’s businesses, and generating more job opportunities for the youth. However, to …