By Abdullahi Jalalludeen
A controversy has erupted in Kano State, with Dr. Bala Inuwa, former Managing Director of the Kano State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), accusing the State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission of violating a court order by confiscating his properties worth billions of Naira.
According to Dr. Inuwa, the anti-graft commission seized his properties, including trailers, fertilizer grinding machines, and other agricultural implements, despite a High Court order restraining them from taking any action on the properties pending the determination of a substantive suit.
The court order, obtained by Dr. Inuwa, declared the commission’s actions as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, and a contravention of the Applicants’ fundamental right to moveable and immoveable properties guaranteed by Section 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”
Dr. Inuwa revealed that he had obtained multiple court orders, including an interim injunction, restraining the commission from interfering with his properties. However, the commission allegedly ignored these orders and continued to seize his properties.
In response to the allegations, the Chairman of the State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Barrister Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, dismissed the claims, stating that the court orders obtained by Dr. Inuwa were secured in default and lacked legal value. Rimin-Gado argued that the orders had been vacated and were only interim, having elapsed since 2024.
The commission chairman further revealed that they were using personnel from the Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) as enforcement agents, citing powers vested in them under Section 58 of the Commission’s Laws.
The controversy has raised concerns about the rule of law and the powers of anti-corruption agencies in Kano State. As the matter continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the commission’s actions will be upheld or overturned by the courts.
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