The Kano State former commissioner for works and infrastructure, Idris Wada Saleh, alongside other five were on 3rd July, 2023 arrested by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission over alleged N1 billion fraud.
According to DailyPost, the commissioner was arrested alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Public Procurement Bureau, Mustapha Madaki Huguma, including the director of finance and director of research and planning, over the accused of withdrawing about N1 billion for 30 road and drainage rehabilitation projects that were never completed.
Consequently, the money withdrawn in three instalments was transferred into the accounts of three companies namely; North Stone Construction Company Nig. Ltd, Arfat Multiresources Ltd and 1st Step Construction Ltd, in April 2023.
Also, the Public Procurement Bureau issued a certificate of no objection for the contract following a ten-day ahead payment before the start of the project which is contrary to the Kano State Procurement Act 2021.
The three companies with almost the same letterhead without a tentative office had the Certificate of No Objection issued to them because Kano Road Maintenance Agency said the rehabilitation of the roads would be carried out through direct labour, which was otherwise in the papers submitted.
Meanwhile, the arrested subjects are undergoing interrogation and would be arraigned before the court immediately investigation is completed.
