Alleged Land Scam: Kano anti-corruption agency investigates Emir Aminu Ado Bayero

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission is investigating the Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu  Ado Bayero and the emirate council over an alleged sale of lands at Gandun Sarki, Dorayi Karama, in Gwale local government area of the state.

Solacebase gathered that the expanse of land divided into 8 hectares belongs to the late Ado Bayero Estate and 14 hectares belonging to the Kano Emirate Council.

The Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund (ABRCTF) had in October 2020 written to the state government seeking approval to carry out site and services on the land through the State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission overseeing the Gandun Sarki lands due to continues encroachment of the land by individuals, unauthorized dumping of refuse due to the rapid development of the area and the likelihood of the royal house losing the entire land to encroachment.

It said when the approval is granted the Trust Fund in the desire to salvage the situation, (ABRCTF) came to the conclusion that developing a residential layout on Site and Services basis is the most economically viable option which will be most beneficial to the Kano Emirate Council in terms of cost and return on investment.

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According to the letter, the proposed development also consists of recreation centres in the community, refuse and dumping site as well as arena for annual festivities of Hawan Dorayi to serve as horse tethering to conveniently accommodate 3,000 horse riders, among others.

Following this request, the state government, through the state Bureau for Land Management wrote to the Secretary Kano Emirate Council in December 2020 notifying the Ado Bayero Royal City Trust Fund of the governor’s approval to proceed with the joint venture development on a site and services basis.

However,  the State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission discovered that a said Yusuf Shuaibu Aliyu bought 8 hectares of the land at N575m  for the Alhaji Ado Bayero Estate and 14 Hectares for N200m for the Kano Emirate Council land.

Solacebase gathered that the N200m was not even paid into the Emirate Council account but was allegedly collected by Alhaji Kabiru Sarki Waziri with the same converted to US dollars.

Speaking with Solacebase on the situation, Chairman of the State Anti-Corruption Commission, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado on Thursday said the commission is investigating the Emir and the Emirate Council as the approval granted on the lands was for developmental projects and not an outright sale of the expanse of lands.

‘’ Surprisingly the sale price was not even paid into the Emirate Council account but converted into dollars and the variation of the sales price of 14 hectares lower than that of the 8 hectares in the same location and others, ‘’Muhuyi Rimingado said.

Solacebase contacted the Chief of Staff to the Emir, who is also the District Head of Kumbotso, Alhaji Ahmed Ado Bayero, confirmed the story but promised to get across to the Emir for proper response to the allegation, this never happened as several calls put to him was not answered nor reply two text messages sent to him on Thursday.

COURT ACTION

The issue took a twist on March 31^st, 2021, with a court order restraining Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, Kano Commissioner of Police and AIG in charge of zone 1 from destroying construction work on the property and from further interfering by any means whatsoever with Yusuf Shuaibu Aliyu, applicant’s peaceful procession of the property situated at Dorayi Karama (Gandu Sarki) subject matter pending the determination on notice.

The presiding Judge of the Kano State High Court sitting at Miller road, Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba in the interim injunction ordered that the 2^nd and 3^rd respondents in the suit or their agents should not harass the applicant’s possession or interfere with the Dorayi Karama (Gandu Sarki ) lands, that is the subject matter till the motion on notice is determine.

The Court, however, reviewed its earlier order on April 1^st, 2021, when Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba upon reading a motion ex parte together with an 11 paragraph affidavit, a written address sworn to by one Inspector Mohammed Nuhu and after hearing Counsel to the first respondent Barr. Z. H. Kofar Mata ordered that the parties maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice fixed for hearing on April, 12^th 2021.

Solacebase reports that the applicant in the suit, Yusuf Shuaibu Aliyu,  the buyer of the controversial Dorayi Karama lands (Gandu Sarki) is an elected councillor in Kano Municipal local government council.