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962 Forfeited Homes: Why Aliyu’s ICPC Is Beginning To Redefine What Asset Recovery Means

Published

2 months ago

on

 

By Mahmoud Ibrahim Kwari

WHEN corruption assets are recovered, the real question is not simply how much was seized, how many properties were forfeited or how many cases were filed. The more important question is what happens to those assets afterwards. In the Kaba District of Abuja, the answer is beginning to take a more meaningful shape: land linked to an alleged $65 million housing project, covering about 27.92 hectares, is now back in public hands with the prospect of delivering 962 housing units to Nigerian families.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), under its Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, formally handed over the forfeited landed properties at Kaba District to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), following a final forfeiture order of the Federal High Court. Beyond the ceremony itself, the development offers an opportunity to examine a bigger question: what should integrity and progress look like in Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign?

The answer, perhaps, lies in the transformation of recovered assets from symbols of corruption into instruments of public good.

The handover took place on Tuesday, the twenty first of July, 2026 at the site of the Goodluck Jonathan Estate in Kaba District, Abuja, with Dr. Aliyu leading the ICPC delegation and the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FMBN, Mr. Shehu Usman Osidi, alongside senior officials of both institutions, witnessing the event.

For Dr. Aliyu, the occasion was more than an administrative transfer of land. It represented what asset recovery should ultimately accomplish in a country where the public has often watched recovered properties remain locked in legal, administrative or bureaucratic limbo.

The ICPC chairman made a particularly important point: asset recovery without proper management is incomplete.

That principle deserves attention.

For years, Nigeria’s anti-corruption conversation has largely revolved around arrests, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and forfeitures. Those are important components of accountability. But the public benefit of anti-corruption efforts becomes much more tangible when an asset recovered from an alleged unlawful activity is returned to productive use.

The Kaba project therefore provides an interesting test case.

The land was originally part of a housing project conceived by FMBN in 2012. The project was financed through a $65 million loan facility secured by Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited in partnership with an American firm and was intended to produce 962 housing units.

According to the ICPC, investigations established that the loan was completely diverted, with no housing units constructed, while some of the funds were allegedly routed through Bureaux de Change and taken outside the country.

That story is sadly familiar in Nigeria: a project is conceived for the public good, financing is secured, expectations are raised, but somewhere along the line, the purpose for which the money was provided disappears.

What makes the Kaba development different is the possibility that the story could now end differently.

Instead of the land remaining abandoned, the Federal High Court has directed that it be returned to FMBN, the institution identified as the victim of the alleged unlawful activity. More importantly, the court directed ICPC and FMBN to monitor and supervise the construction of the proposed 962 housing units to completion and ensure their allocation to the intended end users.

That is where the real significance of the development lies.

The court’s order, granted on December 11, 2025, by Justice M. G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025, ordered the final forfeiture of two plots in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District.

One of the plots measures approximately 122,015.80 square metres, while the other measures about 157,198.30 square metres. Together, they constitute the land on which the housing project is expected to rise.

The court also directed the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through ICPC, to facilitate the handover of the properties to FMBN and mandated the two institutions to supervise the development of the housing estate.

A joint committee is expected to oversee the process, with ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Division representing the Commission.

This is where the leadership style of Dr. Aliyu becomes relevant.

His emphasis on the productive use of recovered assets reflects an understanding that Nigerians are increasingly interested in outcomes rather than headlines.

The public does not simply want to hear that billions of naira or valuable properties have been recovered. Nigerians want to know what those recoveries eventually mean for ordinary people.

A recovered house should become a house. Recovered land should become productive land. Recovered funds should return to the public through projects that improve lives.

In the case of Kaba, the proposed 962 housing units provide an unusually clear measure of success.

If the homes are completed, properly allocated and occupied by the intended beneficiaries, the project will demonstrate how anti-corruption enforcement can move beyond punishment and become an instrument of development.

It will also provide a powerful answer to those who sometimes question the practical value of asset recovery.

It is against this backdrop that the growing institutional recognition of Dr. Aliyu’s leadership at the ICPC becomes noteworthy.
The recent encounter with some police officers that mounted an illegal check point to extort money from motorists in Abuja, has attested to the integrity of the ICPC’s boss where he has shown practical example of what he preaches as the head of Anti-graft Agency.
The officers extorted N53,000 from him and he followed them very closely, and told someone to send the money to him upon the officers’ demand.
They took the ICPC Chair to a POS, where he paid the charges, while the officers withdrew the money and shared it among themselves, after which he reported them to the police authority.
At a press conference few days after the incidence, the FCT Commissioner of Police confirmed that the suspects carried out the act outside their duty post, and that they converged from various divisions and moved to the Banex Plaza area of Abuja City, where they mounted a checkpoint.
He said the four suspects perpetrated the act and ran away before they were declared wanted and arrested.
“We are going to make sure that they are severely punished, while those to be dismissed will definitely be dismissed. This I can assure you” said the police Commissioner.
This is a great test to personal integrity and commitment to fight corruption by Dr Aliyu, which was reflected and extended to institutional leadership by example.

Prior to this, the Chairman has received commendations from different quarters, including recognition attributed to the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs for transparency, accountability and inclusiveness during National Assembly oversight engagements.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also been associated with commendation of the Commission’s drive in asset recovery, efforts to close systemic loopholes and its attention to accountability at the grassroots and local-government levels.

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There have also been commendations surrounding ICPC’s collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps and efforts to introduce integrity-focused reforms and contactless systems in the transport sector, aimed at reducing opportunities for corrupt practices.

But perhaps the most striking feature of Aliyu’s tenure is not necessarily the commendations themselves. It is the apparent effort to connect anti-corruption enforcement with institutional reform.

That distinction matters.

An anti-corruption agency cannot arrest its way out of corruption. It cannot prosecute its way out of corruption either. Sustainable progress requires prevention, institutional strengthening, technology, transparency, accountability and consequences for wrongdoing.

This appears to be one of the areas where Aliyu has sought to leave an imprint.

The Commission has pursued technology-driven prevention mechanisms, including digital scorecards and AI-powered public reporting tools, while the chairman has advocated greater responsibility among judges, lawyers as well as tertiary institutions as moral gatekeepers and drivers of empirical research into illicit financial flows.

These initiatives may not always generate the drama associated with high-profile arrests, but they are potentially more important in the long run.

There is also another aspect of Aliyu’s leadership that deserves consideration.

During his inaugural press briefing in Abuja, the ICPC chairman made an unusual commitment. He said he would personally participate in the prosecution of major cases.

“I will lead by example,” he said, pledging to personally appear in ICPC cases in court.

He described the commitment as an effort to demonstrate that integrity, accountability and transparency must become part of the fabric of Nigerian society.

He subsequently fulfilled that pledge by personally appearing at a High Court in Kano in a case involving allegations of fund misappropriation by the Kano State Government through its 44 local government caretaker chairmen.

The significance of that decision was not simply that the chairman appeared in court. It was the message that the head of an anti-corruption institution was willing to put his professional reputation and legal expertise behind the cases being pursued by his organization.

That is what leading from the front means.

The case itself generated considerable legal controversy.

The defendants, including the state Commissioner for Local Government and Deputy Governor, had previously obtained an interim court order restraining ICPC from conducting further investigations, summoning or interrogating individuals involved in the matter.

Their lawyers also challenged the jurisdiction of the Commission and argued that multiple agencies investigating the same matter amounted to “forum shopping” and an “abuse of court process.”

They further alleged that ICPC had breached an earlier injunction by continuing its investigation.

Aliyu, however, challenged the legal standing of the caretaker chairmen, relying on a Supreme Court position concerning the legality of appointing caretaker chairmen in place of democratically elected local government officials.

The chairman’s argument was straightforward: those holding positions whose legality was itself under challenge could not, in his view, use the legal system as a shield against accountability.

The allegations remain subject to judicial determination, and the courts will ultimately decide the substantive issues.

Yet the episode demonstrated Aliyu’s willingness to personally engage with difficult institutional and legal questions rather than leave everything to subordinates.

This brings us back to Kaba.

The 962-unit housing project could become one of the clearest demonstrations of what successful asset recovery should look like.

The land, according to the ICPC, had remained unutilised after the original housing project failed to materialise. FMBN’s Managing Director, Shehu Osidi, acknowledged this when he thanked ICPC for recovering and handing over the property for its intended purpose.

He noted that the land had been abandoned and left unused for some time, describing the ICPC’s intervention as evidence of a commitment to protecting public assets and ensuring that forfeited properties are put to productive use for Nigerians.

That is a powerful endorsement because it speaks to the ultimate purpose of recovery.

The ICPC chairman’s position that the success of the Kaba intervention should be judged by the completion and fair allocation of the homes is therefore particularly important.

The project should not be allowed to become another abandoned estate.

The land has been recovered. The court has provided the legal framework. FMBN has taken possession for the intended purpose. ICPC has been mandated to monitor the process.

The next stage is delivery. And delivery is where integrity is ultimately tested.

There is a temptation in public life to measure leaders by the number of arrests they make, the value of properties they recover or the number of high-profile cases they announce.

Those figures matter, but they are not the whole story.

The deeper measure is whether institutions become stronger under their leadership and whether ordinary Nigerians can eventually feel the impact of their work.

For Aliyu, the Kaba project presents precisely such an opportunity.

If 962 families eventually move into homes built on land recovered through an anti-corruption process, the story will no longer be merely about forfeiture.

It will be about restitution.

It will be about taking something allegedly diverted from its original purpose and restoring it to the purpose for which it was intended.

It will also demonstrate that the fight against corruption does not have to end in a courtroom.

It can end in a school, a hospital, a road, a factory or, in this case, a home.

That is why the Kaba District development deserves to be followed closely.

The responsibility now falls on both ICPC and FMBN to ensure that the process remains transparent, properly supervised and insulated from the very abuses that necessitated the recovery in the first place.

The joint committee must do more than exist on paper. It must track progress, identify obstacles, ensure compliance and provide Nigerians with credible information about the development.

The intended beneficiaries must also remain at the centre of the process.

A housing estate recovered for the public must ultimately serve the public.

The broader lesson is that integrity in public office should not be defined merely by the absence of personal corruption.

Integrity should also mean doing the right thing with public power.

It should mean recovering what belongs to the people and ensuring that it is not lost again through bureaucratic neglect.

It should mean prosecuting cases fairly, strengthening institutions, closing loopholes, embracing technology and ensuring that recovered assets deliver measurable benefits.

This is why the Kaba handover represents more than another event in the calendar of the ICPC.

It offers a practical illustration of the intersection between integrity and progress.

Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu’s leadership will ultimately be judged not by the rhetoric surrounding his tenure but by what remains after it.

If the 962 homes rise from the Kaba landscape, if they are completed to the required standards, if they reach the families for whom they were intended, and if the process remains transparent from beginning to end, then the ICPC would have achieved something more significant than recovering land.

It would have shown Nigerians what recovered public wealth can become.

And that may be one of the most persuasive forms of anti-corruption advocacy possible: not merely telling Nigerians that corruption has consequences, but showing them that accountability can produce progress.

For News Point Nigeria, that is the bigger story behind Kaba not simply the land that was forfeited, but the homes that could rise from it; not simply the alleged wrongdoing that led to the forfeiture, but the public good that should emerge from the recovery.

The true victory will be when Nigerians can look at the completed 962-unit estate and say: this is what recovered public assets are supposed to do.

Kwari, a journalist writes from Abuja.

 

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Opinion

OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Published

5 days ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

Senator Bola Ahamd Tinubu

 

 

KANO AT A CROSSROADS: AN URGENT CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION TO PREVENT CRISIS AND SOCIAL UPHEAVAL

Your Excellency,

The Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum (KPCF), a coalition committed to peace, good governance, human rights, democracy and the protection of Kano State’s long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence, writes with deep concern over recent developments that have heightened political and social tensions in the ancient city of Kano.

Kano Is At a Crossroads
We believe that the situation requires urgent, impartial and preventive intervention by the Federal Government, before the current tensions develop into a wider crisis or social unrest

Kano is a politically active and socially diverse society. Its people have historically demonstrated resilience, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. However, the current political season, combined with the continous happenings surrounding the Kano Emirate, makes any inflammatory statement, actions with provocative tendency, or political confrontation, potentially and imminently dangerous.
Our Concern Over Inflammatory Statements
KPCF is deeply concerned about the statement attributed to Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi (Sarkin Dawaki Babba), which we consider unfortunate and particularly concerning at this sensitive period. Public statements by prominent traditional and community figures carry significant influence and should, therefore, be guided by the need to promote peace, unity, tolerance and social cohesion.
Similarly, a viral video circulating on social media allegedly showed Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Warkal, an NDC candidate for the Kano State House of Assembly representing Gwale Constituency, displaying what appeared to be a pump-action rifle during a political gathering or rally in the Janbulo area of Gwale.
We have also learnt that the Kano State Police Command subsequently invited him for questioning in connection with the alleged incident, reportedly citing possible violations of relevant firearms laws and concerns relating to public peace and security. These allegations remain matters for the appropriate authorities to establish in accordance with due process.
KPCF emphasizes that, regardless of political affiliation, social status, traditional position or personal differences, public figures, political actors, traditional institutions, religious leaders and community influencers have a shared responsibility to promote peaceful political participation and social cohesion. Language or conduct capable of generating fear, anger, hostility or confrontation should be avoided, particularly as political activities and campaigns intensify.
We therefore urge all political, traditional, religious and community leaders, as well as their supporters and followers, to exercise the highest level of restraint and responsibility. We call on all stakeholders to refrain from hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, threats, incitement, intimidation or any statements and actions capable of provoking violence or mobilising citizens against one another.
KPCF further encourages political actors and other influential stakeholders to use their platforms to promote dialogue, tolerance, respect for opposing views and peaceful participation, recognising that political differences should never become a basis for violence or threats to the safety and dignity of citizens.
At this critical period, Kano State needs responsible leadership, restraint and constructive dialogue from all sides. We call on all stakeholders to put the peace, security and unity of Kano State above partisan interests and personal differences.
The Recent Durbar Incident
KPCF is also concerned about the reported incident surrounding the recent Durbar organised by the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during which violence was reported and campaign posters and billboards bearing the identities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, were reportedly destroyed by some people alleged to the supporters of the 15th Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero.

Although, we have acknowledged reports that Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero subsequently and personally apologised to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over the incident. Though, such an apology is welcomes and it certainly represents an important gesture towards de-escalation of the already heated atmosphere.

However, an apology alone may not be sufficient to address the broader concerns arising from the incident. We respectfully urge the relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the incident and ensure that any person found to have committed an offence is dealt with in accordance with the law, irrespective of political, traditional or social status.

Political campaign materials are part of democratic expression. Their unlawful destruction, just like any other act of violence or intimidation, should not be allowed to become normalised.
The Kano Emirate Matter and the Rule of Law
Your Excellency, KPCF is particularly disturbed about the continuing politicisation of the Kano Emirate issue.

We respectfully recognise that matters concerning the Kano Emirate have generated strong emotions across the State and that aspects of the dispute have been subjected to judicial consideration, including proceedings before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In the interest of peace and respect for constitutional institutions, we appeal to political appointees and government officials at both Federal and Kano State levels to refrain from making inflammatory statement or taking partisan positions on matters before the courts.

The judiciary must be allowed to perform its constitutional responsibility without political pressure, intimidation or public mobilisation.

We therefore call on all stakeholders to allow the courts to determine the legal questions before them and to respect the outcome of the judicial process.

Our Appeal for Immediate Presidential Intervention
Your Excellency, KPCF respectfully believes that this is the time for preventive leadership rather than reactive intervention.

We therefore appeal to Your Excellency to:
1. Urgently intervene in the emerging situation in Kano State and encourage all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

2. Direct the relevant security and intelligence agencies to closely monitor developments and take preventive measures against violence, intimidation, hate speech and destruction of property.

3. Call on political appointees at both Federal and Kano State levels to refrain from unnecessary involvement in the Emirate dispute, particularly on matters that are before the courts.

Reaffirm the independence of the judiciary and encourage all parties to respect judicial proceedings and decisions concerning the Kano Emirate.

Direct that political parties, campaign organisations and their supporters be protected equally and that the destruction of political posters, billboards or campaign materials be investigated and addressed according to law.

Ensure that all persons responsible for violence, regardless of political or traditional affiliation, are held accountable under the law.

Encourage traditional, religious, political and community leaders to publicly commit themselves to peace and responsible communication throughout the political campaign period.

Facilitate an inclusive peace and stakeholders’ dialogue in Kano, involving the State Government, Federal Government representatives, traditional institutions, political parties, security agencies, religious leaders, youth and women representatives, and civil society organisations.

Urge political actors to focus their campaigns on issues of development and governance rather than personality traditional institutions or matters capable of dividing the people of Kano.

Kano Must Not Be Allowed to Slide into Crisis
Your Excellency, Kano is too important to Nigeria to be allowed to descend into avoidable confrontation

The ancient city of Kano is a major commercial, cultural, political and social centre whose stability has implications far beyond the State. A crisis in Kano would affect not only its citizens but also neighbouring states and the wider northern region.

KPCF therefore considers the present moment a critical early-warning stage. We believe that decisive and impartial intervention now can prevent a much more serious crisis later.

We appeal to Your Excellency, as President and Commander-in-Chief, to use the moral authority and constitutional powers of your office to send a clear message that peace, democratic participation, freedom of expression, respect for traditional institutions, protection of political rights and the rule of law must prevail over political rivalry.

We further urge all parties to sheathe their swords, avoid provocative statements and actions, and place the peace and stability of Kano above personal, political or institutional interests.

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Kano belongs to all its people. Its peace must not become a casualty of political competition or institutional disagreements.

The Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum remains committed to working with the Federal and State Governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, political parties and all stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence, democratic participation and respect for the rule of law.

We respectfully call on Your Excellency to act now, before tension becomes crisis and crisis becomes conflict.

May peace continue to prevail in Kano State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yours faithfully,

Signed ,

Hassan Ibrahim Gama Mustapha Muhammed Chiroma Peter Hassan Tijjani
Convener Convener Convener

For and on behalf of the undersigned members of the Kano Patriotic CSOs Coalition Forum (KPCF):
S/N
Contact Person
Name of Organization

1
Hassan Ibrahim Gama.
Friend of the Community Organisation (FOCO)

2
Mustapha Muhammed Chiroma
Community Rights Initiative Of Nigeria (CORIN)

3
Peter Hassan Tijani
New Ethics for Empowerment and Development Initiative (NEEDIN)

4
Farouk Umar
Citizens for Development and Education (CDE)

5
Ibrahim Muhammad
Rural – Urban Slums Development Initiative (RUSDI)

6
Ruth Stephen
Touch and Care Foundation (TOCAF)

7
Maimuna Shuaibu
Muna Helping Hand Foundation (MHHF)

8
Amb. Lami Bako Yakasai
Enlightenment And Empowerment Of Northern Women Initiative

9
Abdulrahman Uba Daushe
Spinal Cord Injuries Association Of Nigeria (SCIAN)

10
Ahmad Tijjani
Alkali Ahmad Center For Development

11
Sunusi Hashimu
Society For Child Support And Economic Empowerment (SOCSEE)

12
Hassan Musa Yaro
Cardinal Aid Development Support Initiative

13
Nworisa Michael
Stand For Peace Initiative

14
Aisha Ahmed Abdulkadir
Sustainable Dynamic and Human Development Initiative

15
Khadija A. Muhammad
Nana Aisha Development Initiative (NADI)

16
Halima Suleiman ESQ
Advocacy on Human Rights and Equal Opportunity (AHREO)

17
Dr. Kabir Hamisu Kura
Community Development Initiative

18
Halima Titi Bello
Women Gender Developers (WOGEND)

19
Rakiya Ladi Musa
Ansar Women Development

20
Amina Ali Alhassan
Be My Guide Development initiative.

21
Amb. Rabi Yusuf Gezawa MON
Center For Empowerment Of Older Persons And The Vulnerable (CEOPAV)

22
Comrade A.A Haruna Ayagi
International Human Rights Network IHRN-Nigeria

23
Tijjani Sarki
Human Rights Watch And Youths Empowerment Foundation, Nigeria.

24
Ola Taiwo
Mari-Care Foundation for Widows, Single Parents, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Nigeria. (MARI-CARE)

25
Solomon Samuel
Mercy Helpline Initiative

26
Sheriff Abubakar
Sheriff Orphanage and Charity home foundation (Sheriff foundation)

27
Salmanu Muhammed
WAZOBIA International Women and Children Foundation, Kano

28
Amb. Hadiza Abdullahi kishimi
Women’s Social and leadership Development initiative ( WSLDI )

29
Grace Musa
Standup for Women Society

30
Dr. Ramatu Garba
Support For Women And Teenage Children (SWATCH)

31
Amina Aliyu Dogarai
Women and orphans charity initiative

32
Surayya Ado Salisu
ABC Road Safety Project Initiative

33
Barr. Aisha Ali Tijjani
Sayyidatu Wal adfal Foundation (Women and Children Foundation)

34
Murjanatu G. Umar
Women Empowerment, Leadership, Education, Advancement And Development Initiative (WE-LEAD)

35
Amb. Maryam Hassan
League for Societal Protection Against Drugs Abuse (LESPADA)

36
Wali Ado Rano
Voice Of The Hopeful Enlightenment And Development Initiative (VOHEDI)

37
Saratu I. Maigida
Lifeline Initiative For Widows Empowerment And Economic Development (LIWEED)

38
Sagir Salihu Chedi
Voice And Accountability Platform (VAP)

39
Barr. Mustapha Idris
Human Right and Community Initiative

40
Gharzali Ibrahim Ungogo
Ummatee Centre For The Promotion Of Public Education, Accountability And Social Safety (UMMATEE-C4PASS)

41
Aisha Halliru
Halliru Memorial Youth Development And Empowerment Initiative (AYDI)

42
Mrs. Esther Abdulahi Kingsley
Inter-tribe Community Support Forum

43
Auwal Idris Dorayi
Center For Peace And Environmental Justice CEPEJ

44
Mariya Ishaka
Albino Cluster Association

45
Sani Shuaib Rogo
Rogo Concern Citizens

46
Abubakar Shuibu Maitumaki
Youth Awareness Foundation On Drug Abuse (YAFODA)

47
Dr. Mustapha Mukhatar
Danbatta Development Forum (DDF)

48
Musa Muhammad Khaila
Community Support for Social Accountability Initiative (COMSSI)

49
Haj. Habiba Mijinyawa
Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Kano

50
Abbas Abdullahi Yakasai CISSP, IPMA
One Kano Agenda

51
Comrade Ali Wali
Network for Environmental Safety and Society Development (NESSD)

52
Hadiza Bala Fagge
Women Widows And Orphans Development Initiative (WWODI)

53
Farida Ahmed Tahir
Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation

54
Bello Abdulkadir Yusuf
Karaye Community Development Association

55
Badiya Aliyu
Sustainable Dynamic Human Development Initaitive (SDHDI)

56
Ruqayya Bello
Women for Women Initiative

57
Sabo Bello Madaki
Kiru Community Development Association

58
Sunusi Mamuda Wudil
Wudil Association Cooperative

59
Zubaida Umar Gashash
Youths And Women Sustainable Development Initiative (YASDI)

60
Ibrahim H. Sale
Habib Community Education Initiative

61
Khadijah Ibrahim
Adolescents Girls, Children And Research Project – GCRP

62
Sumaila Namadi Ahmad
Yadfulde Kiru Local government Association & Dev.

63
Abdulaziz Habibu Bello
Yanoko Youth Development Association

64
Umar Ibrahim Umar
War Against Injustice

65
Maimuna Umar Sheriff
Centre for Gender Base Violence Advocacy

66
Kola Samuel Asaju
KAF Care Foundation

67
Ali Suleiman
Masses First International Organization –MFI

68
Muhammed Yusuf Gama
Global Youth and Women Support Initiative – GLOYWSI

69
Abubakar Shariff Jaddah
Society for Women and Child Health Initiative (SWACHI)

70
Abdussalam Haruna
New Turn for Youth Enthusiasm & Dev. (N-YED)

71
Dalhatu Jibrin Dalhatu
Karaye Initiative Forum

72
Mohammad Lawal Datti
Initiative for Health Rescue & Risk Reduction (IHRAR)

73
Amb Dr Abdulrahman Kitilly Hudu ( Phd)
Empowerment For Vulnerable Women And Children International (EVWACH International)

74
Fatima Umar
Albarka Women Development Association

75
Mahmud Hashimu
Community Health I Initiatives and society development – CHISOD

76
Suyudi Isa Jibril
Media Advocacy for Accountability Sustainable Initiative –

77
Lukman Dayyab
Public Health Promotion Initiative

78
Amb Maryam Ibrahim Sani
Nigerian Coalition on youth,peace and security Agenda,Kano.

79
Haj. Safiyya Salisu Abdul
Support Group For Good Governance Organisation (SG3)

80
Sagir Saidu
Gyarakayanka Development Association

81
Sani Muhammad.
Annur Health And Peace Community Development Initiative

82
Ahmad Tijjani Yau
Development Insight Hub

83
Comrade Garba Suleiman Marafa
WAZOBIA Conflict Resolution And Peace Advocacy Initiative (WACORPAI)

84
Dr. Auwalu Halilu
Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiatives (NDEHI)

85
Yahaya A. Yahaya
National Association Of Persons With Physical Disabilities Kano Chapter (NAPWPD)

86
Dr Abubakar Ibrahim Hassan
Community Education and Health Promotion Initiatives (CEHPI)

87
Hajiya Saadatu Hashim
Concerns Mothers Association of Kano

88
Aisha Shatima
Joint Action Campaign for development

89
Najib Nasir
Northern Youth Concerned

90
Dr. Tanimu Adam Ibrahim
Gwarzo Initiative Forum

91
Aminu Sa’ad
Consolidated Ajingi Development Association.

92
Umar Iliyasu Madobi
Madobi Youth Development Forum

93
Barrister. Badamasi
Kano First Forum

94
Salamatu Sulaiman Mustapha
Salmah Africa Rescue Initiative

95
Garba Musa
Save Girls Initiative

96
Murtala Muhd Rabiu
Hannu Dayawa Youth development Association Bachirawa

97
Maryam Muhammad
Indigent Youth Education And Care Foundation (IYECF)

98
Rakiya Abba Tahula
Interfaith Peace Foundation

99
Nafisa Muhammad Ado
Anniswan Women Health Initiative (AWOHI)

100
Mohammed Hussaini
Nigerian Democracy Working Group

 

CC:
– The National Security Adviser (NSA), Federal Republic of Nigeria
– The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Nigeria Police Force
– The Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS)
– The Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
– The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
– The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command
– The Director, State Security Services (SSS), Kano State
– The Kano State Commandant, NSCDC

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Opinion

Muhuyi Raided Our Area: Encomiums, Prayers and Solidarity Trail Operation

Published

1 week ago

on

October 3, 2026

By

Muhuyi Magaji

 

By Abba Anwar

A few days ago, Sheikh Salga Street, the stretch from Goron Dutse to Jakara, was a haven for Yandaba and drug addicts. They terrorized residents in broad daylight without fear, and at night, it was even worse. The Jakara Divisional Police did their best to curb the menace, but the challenge was beyond a single station.

The real game-changer came when the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Drug Abuse and Other Related Crimes, under the fearless Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, stormed the area. It was a thorough, house-to-house operation that combed every nook and cranny.

This is my area. I was born and raised in Bakinruwa quarters, and I have friends across all the adjoining neighborhoods. When Barrister Rimingado led his men in a Rambo-style raid, calls started coming in. Many residents told me that this single operation alone has convinced every right-thinking person in the area to vote for the present administration under His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, in the 2027 election.

Interestingly, a greater percentage of those I spoke to do not belong to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. Yet they insisted that this intervention is the best thing that has happened to them in recent times. They promised to pay back with their votes in 2027.

Politics aside, when these criminal elements forced people to run for their lives, they did not ask whether you wereAPC, ADC or any other party. Several people were severely injured. Some were alleged to have lost their lives.

What made this raid more strategic and successful was how the Task Force worked hand-in-hand with traditional community leaders, the Masu Unguwa. These are leaders who know the suspects by name, who know their parents, their houses and their hideouts. That is why the operation succeeded.

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This is a smart application of community policing. Beyond intelligence from security agencies, bringing in community leaders was a vital, creative and strategic move by the Chairman of the Task Force.

The raid was not a one-day show. It continued up to yesterday. Coincidentally, there was a Maulud gathering on the road between Durumin Kaigama and Yar Kasuwa. I learnt that immediately after the Maulud, a special prayer session was held. They prayed for Governor Yusuf to secure another term, and they prayed for Allah’s protection and guidance for Barrister Rimingado and his dedicated team.

What the Task Force did was appreciated by thousands of residents. From what I gathered, some youth have even started organizing a movement to support Governor Yusuf’s re-election bid. The movement, I learnt, has nothing to do with party affiliation.

I was briefed that youth from all walks of life are involved – students, artisans, members of community-based organizations, business people, women groups and civil servants.

What Barrister Rimingado did has opened the eyes of many apolitical people. These are hundreds of people who do not belong to any political party, but who have now resolved to do everything possible to ensure Governor Yusuf returns in 2027.

This vindicates what I wrote earlier, that politics aside, if properly handled, the activities of the Task Force could be one of the most fundamental efforts capable of giving APC more votes in Kano in all elections, especially the gubernatorial contest.

Alhamdulillah, rules of engagement were professionally adhered to during the raid. About 80 suspected criminals were arrested. Some fled out of the state, but I was reliably informed they will be trailed to wherever they hide. This is what we call patriotic commitment.

Let me use this platform to convey the thank-you message of our people to the Governor of Kano State and the Task Force under Barrister Rimingado for this timely intervention and show of concern and seriousness.

One Malam Ahmad Dahawi, who leads an umbrella body of community associations in the area with thousands of members, confirmed that peace has now returned to the affected areas. He assured that although their umbrella body comprises people across different political parties, they have resolved to support Governor Yusuf in 2027, while members are free to vote for whoever they like in other elections.

More grease to your elbow, the people’s Governor. More courage and fearlessness to Barrister Rimingado and his unwavering team. With this kind of teamwork and community support, the days of these criminals are numbered.

What is most interesting is the political will of the Governor and his unwavering support for cleansing our state of criminal activities.

I suggest other areas within the metropolis and rural communities, should copy from our people in supporting the operation of the all-important Task Force. It is for the good of all of us.

Anwar writes from Kano
Saturday, 3rd October, 2026

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Opinion

Muhuyi and the Fight for Kano’s Future-Ismail Auwal

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2 weeks ago

on

October 1, 2026

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By Ismail Auwal

I knew Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado had capacity. His work at Kano’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had established that much. But watching the pace of his present assignment, I have had to revise my expectations upward. I did not imagine he would bring this much energy to the task.
The operations have kept coming: arrests, investigations and court proceedings. Alongside them are plans for rehabilitation and skills training. What has emerged is a public official taking responsibility for an assignment whose consequences reach far beyond his office and into the homes and neighbourhoods of Kano.
Within 45 days, the task force reportedly conducted more than 200 raids and secured more than 200 convictions, with four mobile courts handling the cases. Those figures remain reported results. They nevertheless describe an early pace of enforcement that deserves attention, and the leadership sustaining it deserves recognition.
Consider the work behind an operation. Information arrives and must be assessed. Someone decides what requires investigation and brings the relevant agencies together. Officers are deployed, evidence is gathered and records are prepared. After an arrest, the responsibility continues through the preparation and handling of a case.
Maintaining that effort across repeated operations requires organisation and follow-through. This is where Muhuyi’s energy becomes significant. He has taken on a responsibility that demands sustained attention, and the accounts emerging from Kano suggest he is giving the assignment precisely that.
The arrests sit at the centre of this effort because they make government action visible. For residents who have reported suspected criminal activity, an operation can show that their information reached someone prepared to respond. It can begin to restore a connection between public complaints and public action.
That connection matters. When people believe a complaint will go nowhere, they may stop making it. They find ways to live around the problem, avoid certain places or carry their concerns privately. An institution that responds gives them a reason to participate again and demonstrates that their knowledge of their community has value.
Muhuyi’s task force has an opportunity to strengthen that relationship with every operation properly investigated and every case properly followed. His leadership deserves commendation for pursuing the work through institutions, bringing enforcement and court proceedings into the same understanding of public responsibility.
For Kano, the stakes are personal. A family dealing with harmful drug use may find its plans gradually displaced by the next crisis. Schooling is interrupted, money intended for other needs goes towards seeking help, and relationships come under strain. Parents try to understand what is happening while worrying about what might happen next.
These are the lives behind the assignment. A response that reaches them can change what they expect from government. It can provide somewhere to seek assistance and a reason to believe that the burden they have been carrying is receiving attention beyond the household.
That is why I have followed Muhuyi’s work with growing interest. The task force is addressing a problem whose effects can spread through generations. Protecting a young person’s opportunity to learn, work and contribute has consequences for an entire family. It also influences the kind of Kano that will emerge in the years ahead.
Muhuyi brings experience suited to these demands. At the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, he worked where citizens’ grievances met the machinery of government. Complaints had to be received, records examined and investigations pursued. Public expectations had to be translated into administrative and legal action.
His contribution included work on the institution itself. In April 2025, the commission published an account of commendations from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre. CISLAC recognised developments under his leadership, including an anticorruption strategy, operating guidelines for government institutions and offices across Kano’s 44 local government areas.
There is substance in that record. Extending an institution’s presence makes it easier for people to approach it. Establishing procedures gives staff a framework for handling complaints. Setting a strategy helps work continue across competing demands. These are foundations on which visible results depend.
For a resident seeking assistance, the difference can be practical: an office within reach, a process that can be understood and an official assigned to follow the matter. Such arrangements give public service a form people can use. Muhuyi’s experience developing them is an asset to his present responsibility.
The commission’s engagement with CISLAC also involved cooperation on asset tracking and recovery. That experience points to another quality relevant to the task force: understanding that institutions can accomplish more when they combine expertise and establish clear arrangements for working together.
Drug enforcement brings together responsibilities held by different bodies. Reporting on the task force’s maiden meeting described participation by the NDLEA, police, Department of State Services and other public institutions. Their involvement provides a basis for coordinated work, while leadership keeps that cooperation active after the meeting ends.
Information must move to those able to assess it. Evidence must reach those preparing proceedings. Responsibilities must be understood well enough to prevent a case from losing momentum between institutions. Muhuyi’s role is to help make these connections work, and the reported activity gives reason to recognise his commitment.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf also deserves credit for establishing the platform and giving the assignment political backing. Placing an experienced official at its head was a consequential decision. Muhuyi’s response has given that decision operational meaning through the task force’s reported activities and developing partnerships.
The governor’s support and the chairman’s drive can reinforce each other. Public backing enables institutions to commit resources, while operational leadership directs those resources towards the work. Kano benefits when both remain focused on the people the assignment is meant to serve.
The effort has attracted recognition from other institutions. Reports of an August visit said the NDLEA’s Zone 5 Command named Muhuyi a War Against Drug Abuse ambassador, citing cooperation, awareness and community mobilisation. In September, the North-West Development Commission also commended the task force and expressed interest in collaboration.
Such recognition can open opportunities for assistance and shared expertise. It also encourages the personnel carrying out the work. Officers, investigators and administrative staff all contribute to the results associated with a chairman’s name. Their effort deserves recognition alongside the leadership coordinating it.
The ambition to help people rebuild their lives after enforcement is equally important. Muhuyi has reportedly outlined plans for skills training reaching 10,000 people, with a role envisaged for the Kiru Reformation Centre. That number is a proposed target, and its direction is encouraging: rehabilitation has a place in how he understands the assignment.
A young person returning home may need treatment, an opportunity to resume education or help acquiring a skill. The family may also need guidance. Recovery can involve a series of steps, each requiring someone to remain involved after the immediate crisis has passed.
Including rehabilitation recognises that public responsibility continues through those steps. It gives the campaign a purpose that families can understand: helping a person regain the ability to participate in everyday life. That ambition deserves support because its benefits can extend well beyond the individual receiving assistance.
A young person who resumes school recovers an opportunity to prepare for adulthood. Someone who acquires a useful skill has a basis for pursuing a livelihood. A household that receives help can begin making plans again. Through these changes, an intervention becomes an investment in Kano’s future.
The support of religious scholars, Friday mosque imams and Hisbah can strengthen this effort. These institutions have relationships with communities that government agencies can work alongside. Their participation can encourage discussion, prevention and assistance in places where families already seek guidance.
Muhuyi deserves credit for leading an assignment that is developing these connections. Public engagement helps build the cooperation on which sustained progress depends. Families need to know where to seek help, and communities need to understand how they can contribute to protecting young people.
The task force’s developing approach brings these responsibilities into the same conversation. Operations address suspected offences, court proceedings carry cases forward, rehabilitation plans look towards recovery, and community partnerships create opportunities for prevention and support. Together, they provide a basis for recognising the leadership behind the effort.
I have followed Muhuyi’s work with an existing appreciation of his capacity. What I now appreciate more fully is his willingness to apply it with urgency. He has brought energy to an assignment that requires people to keep showing up, keep coordinating and keep following the work. That commitment deserves commendation.
Kano’s future will be shaped partly by what happens to its young people today. Every opportunity preserved, every family assisted and every community able to obtain a response contributes to that future. Muhuyi has taken on a responsibility that reaches directly into those possibilities.
The arrests have made the effort visible, and his leadership is giving it momentum. With sustained support, the work can leave its strongest record in the lives of people who find a way forward: young people returning to education and employment, families receiving assistance and communities gaining confidence in the institutions serving them.

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