The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of N1.1 billion allegedly authorised for withdrawal by the Kano State Government from its Federation Account.
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Justice Emeka Nwite granted the interim forfeiture on Tuesday following an ex parte motion moved by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the funds, which were tagged as proceeds of unlawful activities.
The Commission specifically sought an interim order forfeiting to the Federal Government the sum of N1,109,230,000.00, which was recovered in the course of investigating Petition Number ICPC/P/NC/564/2024 and reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
In an affidavit deposed to by L. David Efut Nelson, an Anti-Corruption Assistant with the ICPC, the Commission disclosed that it received a petition dated August 19, 2024, from concerned citizens of Kano State.
The petition alleged the withdrawal of N2.3 billion from the Kano State Federation Account, domiciled with a Nigerian bank, in cash and its use for purposes not related to government business.
According to the deponent, in the course of investigations, the ICPC discovered that on November 9, 2023, the Accountant General of Kano State, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, allegedly authorised the payment of N1,172,563,560.00 to two Bureau de Change companies—Namu Na Kune Global Resources Ltd and Kazo Nazo Global Concept.
The ICPC stated that the Accountant General submitted two letters of authority to the Government House of Kano State, allegedly signed by the Managing Directors of A. Y. Maikifi Oil & Gas Ltd and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd, instructing the Kano State Government to make payments for the supply of diesel to the state government.
The two letters of authority requested payment by the Kano State Government of N539,230,200.00 to Kazo Nazo Global Concept, and three payments in the sums of N570,000,024.00, N48,333,360.00, and N14,999,976.00 to Namu Na Kune Global Resources Ltd.
The ICPC stated that it invited Yamta Audu and Ahmad Bello Hamza, the Managing Directors of A. Y. Maikifi Oil & Gas Ltd and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd respectively, for inquiries into the said letters of authority and the alleged supply of petroleum products to the Kano State Government.
The Commission alleged that the two Managing Directors confirmed signing the letters of authority at the request of the Accountant General of Kano State, who informed them that the state government needed their assistance to release funds required to address certain financial needs.
In their written statements to the ICPC, the two Managing Directors stated that the contracts mentioned in both letters of authority did not exist, the Commission added.
Additionally, the ICPC alleged that the Managing Directors converted the total sum of N1,170,000,000.00 paid by the Kano State Government into $1,000,000 and handed it in cash to Ghali Muhammad Dahiru for alleged delivery to Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, the Director of Protocol, Government House, Kano State.
The Commission further alleged that Ghali Muhammad Dahiru handed over the $1,000,000 cash to Rogo at the Kano State Liaison Office in Asokoro, Abuja, adding that Rogo allegedly admitted collecting the money in his statement to the ICPC dated September 9, 2025.
The ICPC disclosed that it was able to recover N1,109,230,000.00 out of the N1,170,000,000.00 allegedly taken from the Kano State Federation Account from the two companies.
At the court session on Tuesday, ICPC counsel, Oluwafunke Rebecca Bada, moved her application and urged the court to grant the interim forfeiture.
She also sought an interim order directing that the forfeiture order be published in any national newspaper, inviting any interested person to appear before the court within a time specified to show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
After hearing the application, Justice Nwite granted the unopposed motion and adjourned the matter to January 21, 2026, for a report of compliance.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government had earlier broken its silence over the allegations, maintaining that every cash outflow to ministries, departments, and agencies is properly budgeted, with clear codes outlined in the state’s fiscal policy.
In a statement by Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, the government stated that no individual in government MDAs handles public funds without a properly designated purpose.
It further stressed confidence in the credibility of the Director-General, Directorate of Protocol, Government House, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, adding that the administration would not succumb to blackmail or misinformation.
The government alleged that it was aware an opposition group in Kano had set up an office solely to write petitions against officials of the present administration in an attempt to distract the leadership and scandalise key officials.
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