Alleged Palliatives Diversion: Police arrest Kano gov’s aide, 1 other
The Kano State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Tasiu Al’amin-Roba, a Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to Cabinet office and one Abdulkadir Muhammad for alleged diversion of the state’s palliatives.
The Commissioner of Police, Hussaini Gumel, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Sunday that the suspects were arrested at a warehouse at Sharada with over 200 empty bags.
He said that the suspects were reportedly repackaging the rice and maize at the warehouse at Sharada.
”We have since commenced intensive investigation to find out how many bags of maize or rice were repackaged and sold,” he said.
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Gumel said that the two suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of discreet investigations.
Kano govt. uncovers warehouse for diversion of palliatives
Kano State Government on Saturday uncovered a warehouse where food items meant for palliatives were being diverted in the state.
The Press Secretary, Malam Bature Dawakin-Tofa, who made this known in a statement said the warehouse was at Sharada Industrial Estate
Dawakin-Tofa said Gov. Abba Yusuf and the government officials were conducted round the isolated warehouse where the hijacked food items were kept along drums of chemicals.
The governor expressed shock and vowed to punish whoever was involved in the scandalous act of diverting the palliative food items consisting of maize and rice.
He immediately directed the commissioner of police to take over the warehouse and conduct a swift investigation to fish out the culprits.
The development occurred following a tip off from some community members in Sharada who discovered suspicious movement of unknown persons around the warehouse and reported the matter to the Sharada Police Division.
While briefing Yusuf on the spot at the warehouse, one of the Sharada community leaders, Mr Rabiu Amour, said thousands of bags branded with the governor’s portrait and designed as palliatives were discovered to be re-bagged.
“We know these food items are meant to be distributed to less privileged people, therefore we decided to blow the whistle.
”This is our contribution to the good efforts of the governor; he is trying his best to help the downtrodden but some people within the system are sabotaging his effort,” he said.
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Shortly after the inspection, the governor directed the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Danjuma Mahmoud, to brief the media.
The commissioner told newsmen that investigation had commenced on the matter.
Mahmoud said parts of the rice and maize hijacked were meant to be distributed to the people living with disabilities and widows of armed forces officers and other security agencies in Kano.
Although, the commissioner declined to reveal the identity of the culprits, he confirmed that two suspects had been arrested and handed over to the police in connection with the crime.
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” You will recall that after the official unveiling of the distribution of food items meant for the less privileged as palliatives to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
“The state government later set aside another large portion of the palliatives specifically to be distributed to people with special needs in the society.
“Besides people with special needs, the last round of palliatives were also meant for families and widows of members of the armed forces; the army, navy, airforce, and police.
“Others are families and widows of the personnel of sister agencies like Immigration, correctional centre, customs, civil defence, road safety, and Hisbah commission,” he said. (NAN)
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