Embattled Chief of Staff to the Kano State Governor, Shehu Wada Sagagi, has taken legal steps to forestall his arrest by anti-corruption agencies.
A Kano State High Court court, presided over by Justice Aisha Yau, has granted an interim junction to restrain the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, the Police and other Security Agencies from intimidating, harassing and/or arresting the all-powerful Governor Abba Yusuf’s Chief of Staff, pending the hearing and determination of a motion before it.
The Source reports that of recent, allegations of official compromise have been trailing Sagagi, over several tranches of palliatives advanced to Kano state by the Federal Government.
The Kano state chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, had, on Saturday, August 10, 2024, called for an independent investigation into how the Federal Government branded rice and other food items were allegedly diverted by some Kano State Government top functionaries .
In a statement issued by its Chairman, Prince Abdullahi Abbas, the APC specifically alleged that a substantial part of the Federal Government’s rice were spotted at an Islamiyya school owned by the Governor’s chief of staff.
The APC Chairman said the party is disturbed by the growing public outcry alleging massive and recurring diversions of empowerment items by some officials of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP-led administration in the State
The Party threatened legal action in the event an inquest is not carried out to determine those behind the diversion of palliatives.
“These recurring negative events have asserted the NNPP’s Government failure to take necessary actions against its officials found to be involved in the diversion of the palliatives.
“It then might be interpreted as acts being perpetrated with its tacit support. It is unfortunate that last week hundreds of bags of rice branded ” Federal Government Food Security Programme ” were discovered at a private school ( Wada Sagagi Islamic School) owned by the Chief of staff to the Governor ,Shehu Wada Sagagi .
“No convincing argument was put forward by Sagagi as to how the bags of rice which form part of the grains donated to the Kano state Government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal among the poor and vulnerable residents were found in his private residence turned Islamiyya school” the APC stated.
But Sagagi, who had earlier dismissed the allegations as false and aimed at tarnishing his image by detractors, particularly the opposition, in a motion ex-parte prayed the court to stop any move by the EFCC and security agencies from inviting, questioning, arresting and/or harassing him until the hearing and determination of his motion on notice.
Justice Yau, while ruling on the ex-parte motion on Thursday August 15, said: “An interim injunction is granted restraining the respondents, particularly the EFCC and Commissioner of police by themselves, servants, agents ,privies ,or whosoever and howsoever deriving authority from them from arresting, harassing, molesting and/or detaining the applicant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice ”
Hearing on the substantive suit has been billed for September, 3, 2024 .
The Source further reports that the Governor’s Chief of Staff was forced to seek the sanctuary of the court. following a formal petition letter forwarded to the EFCC by the Youth Wing of the APC.
In the petition , the APC Youth Wing had pointedly accused Sagagi of being at the head of a Kano State Government cartel behind the diversion of Federal Government palliatives.
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