The Kano State administration discovered a warehouse in the state’s Sharada industrial complex where food goods destined for palliatives were being diverted.
Governor Kabir Yusuf led government officials and journalists to the isolated warehouse, where alleged hijacked food supplies were stored alongside toxic drums.
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 quickly ordered the Commissioner of Police to take over the facility and undertake a thorough investigation to find all suspects.
The incidence occurred following a tip off by some community members in Sharada who discovered suspicious movements of unknown people around the warehouse and reported the matter to Sharada police division.
Briefing the governor on the spot at the warehouse, a Sharada community leader, Mr. Rabiu Amour, said thousands of bags branded with the governor’s portrait and designed as palliatives were discovered to have been 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 him.”
Shortly after the inspection, the governor directed the Commissioner for Agriculture, Danjuma Mahmoud, to brief the media.
Although, the Commissioner disclosed that investigation would further reveal the magnitude of quantity hijacked and diverted to the warehouse, he said the food items were being rebagged and resold in the market.
He said the specific portion of the rice and maize hijacked and diverted to the warehouse were meant to be distributed to people with physical challenges and widows of armed forces and other security agencies in Kano.
The commissioner declined to reveal the identity of the culprits, but confirmed that two suspects have been handed over to the police in connection with the crime. He said government has set up investigation team to unravel the root course of the development.
“You will recall that after the official unveiling of distribution of food items meant for the less privilege as palliatives to crushing the impact of fuel subsidy removal, the government later set aside another large portion of the palliatives specifically to be distributed to people with special needs like 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, police, and that of the sister agencies like Immigration, Prison services, Customs, Civilians defence, Road safety, Hisbah Vigilante.
“Incidentally, the government discovered that several bags of these food items have been hijacked and diverted to a warehouse in Sharada industrial estate where intelligent reports revealed that those food items are being rebagged and to be sold in the market,” he said.
The state Police command confirmed arrest of one Tasiu Al’amin Roba, a Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to the Governor, attached to Office of the Secretary to the State Government and other person named Abdulkadir Muhammad who are already in police custody at Sharada division.
Following the directive of the Governor, the suspect are expected to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation into the matter.
Governor Yusuf had set up a strong Compliance Committee for Palliatives Distribution headed by the Secretary to the State Government and the his Chief of Staff with six other relevant commissioners as members to ensure that all palliatives items get to the right beneficiaries.
While inaugurating the committee, he emphasized that no political appointee under his government will be a beneficiary as it is meant to be distributed to the people who need it the most.