The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission , EFCC, has handed over documents of properties and 324 houses
recovered for Kano state pensioners to them.
The handing over of the houses, occasioned by a final
forfeiture order granted by Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting
Abuja, was a result of successful investigations carried out by the Commission
over a N4.1billion Pension Trust Fund contributed by the pensioners to own
houses, which was fraudulently denied them by two successive administrations in
Kano State.
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.
Representatives of the Kano State Pension Board, Alhaji Hassan Muhammed Aminu, Kubra Ahmad Bichi and Salisu Yakubu Abubakar, who received the documents on behalf of the workers and pensioners, expressed delight and joy with the EFCC for assisting them in recovering their houses.
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