Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has told officials of the state’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) to do their work or quit.
Mr Yusuf said the agency has lost “fighting spirit” since the exit of its former chairman, Muhuyi Magaji.
The governor urged the new chairman, Sa’idu Yahaya, whom he appointed in August 2025, to resign if he cannot discharge his responsibilities.
He stated this on Thursday at the Government House while launching the distribution of 150 truckloads of subsidised fertiliser to farmers across the state’s 44 local government areas.
Governor Yusuf noted a sharp decline in the agency’s enforcement operations and public visibility.
“The fighting momentum is no longer there like what we used to hear and see,” Mr Yusuf stated. “You have sworn with the Quran to discharge your responsibility; if you are afraid to fight, then you have to resign.”
The governor stated that combating corruption requires a resilient mindset, warning the officials to brace themselves for the inevitable backlash that comes with the job.
“I am calling on the chairman of the state anti-corruption agency to tighten his belt because fighting corruption is not an easy task,” he said.
“You must be ready to face the consequences: blackmail, people despising you, and hating you. But that will not harm you as long as you are truthful and have a sincerity of purpose.”
Mr Yusuf demanded an immediate return to the agency’s previous high-standard enforcement strategies, including high-profile arrests and transparency, warning that he would not tolerate a regression in the state’s anti-graft campaign.
“I hope the current anti-corruption leadership will act and restore the past glory of the agency’s fighting momentum—arresting and interrogating officials found wanting. If you are not doing so and publicising your work, you are taking us backwards in the fight against corruption, and we will not accept this retrogression.
“I want to see a very strong anti-corruption agency managed by strong people. I like working with fearless people; we cannot be afraid of anyone. If you are afraid, why did you swear by the Holy Quran? If you are afraid, please step aside and let someone else take over. You must not lead with fear and sycophancy; you must believe that government exists”, the governor stated.
The head of the state anti-corruption agency, Mr Yahaya, could not be reached immediately for comment on the development, as calls to his phone went unanswered on Friday.
In what appeared to be a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the state’s anti-corruption agency, Governor Abba Yusuf has appealed to federal anti-graft bodies to monitor the distribution of subsidised fertiliser across Kano State.
In a statement on Friday by the Governor’s media aide, Sanusi Bature, Governor Yusuf specifically requested the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the exercise.
According to the governor, the involvement of these federal agencies is intended to guarantee that the fertiliser reaches genuine farmers while eliminating diversion, hoarding, and other corrupt practices.
He urged the 44 local government chairmen in the state to conduct the distribution with honesty, fairness, and accountability. He stated that the intervention aims to reduce farming costs, boost agricultural productivity, and strengthen food security.
Governor Yusuf warned that anyone caught diverting fertiliser or undermining the programme would face the full wrath of the law.
The anti-corruption agency
The state’s anti-graft agency under Mr Magaji, who has now been appointed to lead the narcotic war in the state, has been one of the most proactive and fiercely debated sub-national anti-graft agencies in Nigeria.
Mr Magaji’s tenure has been defined by high-stakes investigations that frequently targeted powerful political, traditional, and administrative figures. Because of this, his work has often sat at the turbulent intersection of anti-corruption enforcement and intense political warfare.
A lawyer and activist by background, Mr Magaji was first appointed to lead the anti-corruption agency in 2016 by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. He built a reputation for aggressively pursuing financial crimes, public sector fraud, and market hoarding.
However, his investigations eventually targeted individuals close to the state government, leading to a highly publicised fallout, his suspension in 2021/2023, and his subsequent reinstatement under the administration of Governor Yusuf.
High-profile cases filed by the anti-corruption agency
In 2019, the agency probed the Kano Emirate Council under the leadership of the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, over alleged misappropriation of roughly ₦3.4 billion.
The funds were allegedly expended on luxury cars, unauthorised internet data bills, and questionable contracts without proper state executive approvals.
The probe created a massive rift between the state government and the emir, leading to the balkanisation of the emirate and Mr Sanusi’s dethronement in 2020.
In mid-2021, the agency investigated an alleged diversion of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and inflation of state contracts.
Critically, the probe linked these financial anomalies directly to companies associated with members of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s immediate family.
This investigation brought immediate political backlash.
Within weeks of launching the probe, Mr Mogaji was suspended by the State House of Assembly on allegations of “misconduct” (specifically, his refusal to accept a direct posting of an accountant from the state’s Accountant-General’s office), a move he contested as a political hit job aimed at halting the investigation.
In 2020, the commission also waded into allegations concerning former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. It investigated the alleged diversion of over ₦6.8 billion belonging to the state’s pension funds during Mr Kwankwaso’s administration.
The case focused on housing projects and properties allegedly allocated under questionable terms.
Beyond high-ranking politicians, the commission targeted economic sabotage at the grassroots level, particularly during crises.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of hyperinflation, the anti-corruption routinely raided major warehouses and markets in Kano.
They seized goods from traders accused of hoarding essential food items (like sugar, rice, and flour) to artificially inflate prices, forcing them to sell to the public at regulated rates.
Mr Magaji’s aggressive style made him both a folk hero to citizens frustrated by elite corruption and a target for critics.
Detractors accused the agency of being “selective” and operating as a political weapon used to settle scores with rivals.
