Nigerian Government Files Corruption Charges Against Kano Anti-graft Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Over Alleged N394Million Fraud, Others

The Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, has been accused of engaging in a web of financial irregularities, false asset declarations, and egregious abuse of office.

 

The charges outlined in a notice dated November 1, 2023, signed by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Registrar Binta Garba, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, made damning allegations against the anti-corruption crusader.

 

He is set to be hauled before the CCT over an alleged fraud worth N394 million.

 

Magaji was accused of illegally depositing a staggering N394 million into an account bearing his name, fuelling suspicions of corruption and money laundering.

 

The charges further alleged a litany of offences, including conflict of interest, false asset declarations, and receiving unexplained funds amounting to millions of naira in his bank accounts.

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One of the accusations also involves Magaji’s approval of an audit fee of N1,766,666.06 per annum for the services of Messrs Salihu Metala & Co., far exceeding the N600,000 initially submitted by the auditing firm.

 

The notice claims that this action directly violates the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, raising questions about the integrity of the man entrusted with combating corruption.

 

The charges also include accusations of deliberate omissions in Magaji’s asset declaration forms, specifically pointing to undisclosed bank accounts with Sterling Bank, United Bank for Africa, and First Bank for Africa. The omission of the accounts allegedly occurred over multiple years, sparking concerns about the transparency and honesty of the anti-corruption chief.

 

The notice reads in part, “Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission of Kano State and thereby a public officer on or about 24th June, 2022 when you submitted your form CCB1 NO: KNSE149484 did make a false declaration by omitting and refusing to declare Account No: 0010209467 maintained with Sterling Bank which has been in operation since 2nd of May, 2016 and you thereby contravened the provisions of Paragraph 11(2) of Fifth Schedule Part 1 to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered and punishable under paragraph 18 (1) and (2) of the fifth schedule of the same Constitution.

 

“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer sometime in 2015, 2020 and 2022 when you submitted your form CCBI NO: KNSE149484 did make a false declaration by omitting and refusing to declare Account No: Account No: 1010447759 maintained with United Bank for Africa which has been in operation since 2nd of May, 2016 and you thereby contravene the provisions of Paragraph 11(2) of Fifth Schedule Part 1 to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered and punishable under paragraph 18 (1) and (2) of the fifth schedule of the same constitution.

 

“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer sometime in 2015, 2020 and 2022 when you submitted your form CCBI NO: KNSEI49484 did make a false declaration by omitting and refusing to declare Account No: 3088277784 maintained with First Bank for Africa which has been in operation since 2nd of May, 2016 and you thereby contravene the provisions of Paragraph 11(2) of Fifth Schedule Part I to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered and punishable under paragraph 18 (1) and (2) of the fifth schedule of the same Constitution.

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“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer on or about 3rd January, 2020 to 2nd September, 2023 you received a total sum of one hundred and twenty-three Million eight hundred and twenty-four thousand Nine hundred- and eighty-eight-naira forty kobo (NI23,824,988.40) only in your Zenith Bank Account Number l006752807 after your asset declaration of 2015 and 2022 which is not fairly attributable to your income, gifts or loan and you thereby contravene the provisions of Section 15 (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act CAP C15 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 23(1) and (2) of the same Act

 

“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and anti-corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer on or about January, 2018 to 4h September, 2023 you received a total sum of one hundred and Ninety-two Million nine hundred and twenty one thousand six hundred- and Ninety-seven naira Fifty-Nine kobo (N192, 921, 697.59) after your 2015 and 2020 declaration of assets which is not fairly attributable to your income, gifts or loan and you thereby contravene the provisions of Section 15 (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act CAP C15 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 23(1) and (2) of the same Act.

 

“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer on or about 19th day of March, 2021 in abuse of your office knowingly applied and got approval for the payment of the sum of one million seven hundred and sixty-six naira (N1.766.666.06) only as professional Audit fees per annum for the services of Messrs Salihu Metala & Co when the actual fees is Six hundred thousand naira (NG00,000) only per Annum submitted to your office by Messrs Salihu Maitala & Co and you thereby contravene the provision of Section 13 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act CAP C15 LFN 2004 and Punishable under Section 23 (1) and (2) of the same Act.”

 

“THAT YOU, MUHUYI MAGAJI, whilst being the Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and anti-corruption Commission of Kano state and thereby a public officer on or about 3rd January, 2018 to 4h September, 2023 after you submitted your asset declaration in 2015 you received a total credit of Sixty-nine Million ninety-six thousand seven hundred and nine Naira nineteen kobo (N69, 096,709.19) only in your Sterling Bank Account Nmber 0004851403 which is not fairly attributable to your income, gifts or loan and you thereby contravene the provisions of Section 15 (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act CAP C1S LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 23(1) and (2) of the same Act,” one of the charges also read.

 

Meanwhile, the CCT will sit on the matter on Thursday in Kano.

 

A Kano High Court in August 2023 barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from probing Muhuyi.

 

Also barred were the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

 

The development comes days after the EFCC, ICPC and CCB sent an invitation to the PCACC and its officials to answer questions concerning the activities of the commission from 2011 to date.

 

The Kano state government had sued the federal government over what it described as harassment and intimidation of the PCACC by three federal agencies.