The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested several high-profile individuals, including Garba Musa Kwankwaso, a nephew of New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for alleged involvement in a multibillion-naira drug supply fraud to 44 Local Government Areas.
The commission had earlier arrested Alhaji Mohammed Kabawa, the Permanent Secretary of the State’s Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in connection with the alleged scheme.
Other individuals involved in the deal were arrested as a result of further inquiry, including Abdullahi Bashir, Chairman of the state section of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and Chairman of Tauroni Local Government Area.
Musa Garba Kwankwaso, Novomed Pharmaceuticals’ Managing Director and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso’s nephew, has also been arrested.
According to the commission, the suspects conspired to grant a contract to Novomed Pharmaceuticals for the delivery of medications to 38 Local Government Areas in the state, which violated public procurement laws. Preliminary investigations found that each of the 38 local governments paid Novomed N9.1 million to buy medications, but the drugs were not delivered.
Kabiru I. Kabiru, the commission’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrests, saying, “The commission is working to unravel the full extent of the scam and bring those responsible to justice.”
Kabiru continued, “The suspects are in the commission’s custody as of the time of filing this report.”
All of the suspects are collaborating with the commission’s investigating team.
The commission’s investigation is still ongoing to discover the full scope of the swindle and bring those guilty to justice.