The Federal High Court sitting in Kano has granted leave to the state’s anti-corruption commission to investigate the deposed emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II over alleged N2.2 billion land scam.
Justice Lewis Allagoa, yesterday, dismissed the fundamental human right suit filed by the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission and its chairman as well as the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Sanusi will face fresh anti-corruption charges three months after his deposition from the throne he sat on for about six years.He had sought the court to restrict the four defendants from investigating him on the alleged land racketeering, arguing that the planned investigation was against his fundamental human right.
But the judge held that the anti-graft commission and its chairman had the jurisdiction and powers to investigate Sanusi on the matter. Justice Lewis had in March granted an ex parte order filed by Sanusi to restrict the commission from inviting and investigating him on the land matter pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.
The anti-graft agency had invested on the embattled Sanusi a Right of Occupancy CON-RES-2016-503, which was reportedly sold illegally by the Kano emirate council to Family Home Fund Limited at the instance of Sanusi as the Emir.
According to the commission, investigation also revealed that all the alleged illegal transactions for the sale of the landed properties at Darmanawa, Hotoro and Bubbugaje belonging to the emirate was done by the trio of Shehu Dankadai (Sarkin Shanu), Sarki Ibrahim (Makanan Kano) and Mustapha Yahaya (Dan Isan Lapai) based on the alleged instruction of Sanusi.
The resurgence of the land racketeering suit came after the same high court dismissed the allegation of misappropriation of about N4.5 billion against the deposed emir. Guardian
