Malik Yahya/
The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered and returned to the original owners 324 houses valued at N4.1 billion, fraudulently sold by two former Kano State governors to their cronies and associates at a giveaway price.
According to a statement by the commission’s head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, the return of the houses followed a final forfeiture order granted by Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting Abuja.
The commission was, however, silent on the identities of the two former governors.
Oyewale said an investigation carried out by the EFCC revealed that pensioners in Kano State had contributed over a N4.1billion into a Pension Trust Fund to enable them acquire their own houses, but were fraudulently denied ownership of the houses by two successive administrations in the state.
The statement further reads, “The commission investigated a petition by Concerned Kano State Workers and Pensioners of alleged misappropriation of pension funds in the state. Findings by the EFCC showed that the state government entered into a tripartite agreement with the Kano State Pension Trust Fund to build housing estates for an aggregate sum of N41billion (Forty One Billion Naira), out of which the Pension Trust Fund was to contribute N4.1billion (Four Billion One Hundred Million Naira).
“However, the contribution of the pensioners was used to build the houses in three estates located in Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo city, Sheikh Nasiru Kabara (Amana) city and Sheikh Khalifa Ishaq Rabiu city, all in Kano state and two former governors of the state fraudulently discounted and sold the houses to their cronies and associates, leaving the pension trustees with low budget and uncompleted houses.
“The EFCC stepped in and upon completion of investigation, filed for and acquired a final forfeiture order of the 324 properties to the Kano State Pension Fund Trustees.
“While handing over the documents of the 324 properties worth N4.1billion to the pensioners on Monday, March18, 2024, the Abuja Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Adeniyi Adebayo assured that the EFCC would continue to do its best to rid the nation of fraudulent practices.”
The statement adds that officials of the Kano State Pension Board, including Alhaji Hassan Muhammed Aminu, Kubra Ahmad Bichi and Salisu Yakubu Abubakar, received the documents on behalf of the workers and pensioners.
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