Ex-Emir Sanusi Lamido In Trouble, Indicted; To Be Investigated Over Land Scam

By Akinwale Kasali

Deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II is enmeshed in another trouble.

This time around, he is being alleged to be directly involved in a N2.2 Billion Land Scam.

This allegation is coming three months after he was deposed as Emir of Kano, banished to Lapai, Nasarawa State, before relocating to Lagos State.

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has approved the move by Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Muhammadu Sanusi II over alleged N2.2 billion land scam.

The magazine gathered that in March 2020, the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor  was facing fresh investigation by the anti-graft agency over alleged sale of landed properties belonging to the Kano Emirate Council.

The anti-graft Commission had accused  Sanusi of authorizing the ‘illegal sale’ of landed properties at Darmanawa, Hotoro and Bubbugaje without due process.

Sanusi had approached the Court where he sought a restraining order against the Commission from inviting and investigating him on the matter pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.

However, Justice Lewis Allagoa, on Tuesday, dismissed Sanusi’s fundamental human right suit, saying that the anti-graft commission and its chairman have the jurisdiction and powers to probe him on the matter.

According to the anti-graft agency Commission, the dethroned Emir ‘illegally’ sold a land with a Right of Occupancy Number: CON-RES-2016-503 to Family Home Fund Limited, adding that the transactions were done by the trio of Shehu Dankadai (Sarkin Shanu), Sarki Ibrahim (Makanan Kano) and Mustapha Yahaya (Dan Isan Lapai).

During his reign, Sanusi was at loggerhead with the governor of the state,  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and in 2017, the emirate council, under Sanusi, was investigated for corruption but the investigation was later called off by the state legislature following intervention by prominent Nigerians.

In 2019, Ganduje signed into law the creation of four new emirates. This unprecedented move saw Sanusi’s traditional domain as Emir reduced.

According to the law, the Kano Emir will only preside over 10 local government areas out of the 44 in the state.

In March, the state legislators launched a new investigation on Sanusi for violation of traditional practices.

Sanusi was on March 9, dethroned as Emir of Kano and banished to Nasarawa State by the Kano State Government over alleged disrespect to lawful instructions from the authorities and refusal to attend official programmes and meetings organised by government.