Kano anti-graft agency arrests suspect over alleged horse-stable transactions

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested Tasiu Adamu Maje over alleged unauthorised transactions involving a government-owned horse stable at the Race Course, popularly known as Filin Sukuwa, in Kano. The commission’s acting chairman, Hafsat Kutama, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Wednesday. She said the investigation followed complaints from Muhammad Amir Yunusa and Usman Bala Yakasai, who alleged that Maje had transferred or offered the property to private individuals without lawful authority.

According to the statement, the investigation established that the Kano State Sports Commission, the body responsible for allocating and managing horse stables in the state, was unaware of and had not approved any transaction involving the property. The commission said the stable had not been officially allocated to any individual through either a sale or a lease. It also said the document relied on by the suspect during the alleged transaction was not an approved or recognised document of the Sports Commission.

The agency alleged that Maje agreed to sell the stable to Yunusa for N4.5m while also collecting rent from Yakasai. The commission said N180,000 was demanded as rent and that N150,000 had reportedly been paid. The commission said it was taking steps to recover the stable and return it to the Kano State Sports Commission.

Maje is expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction, according to the statement. The agency warned against converting government property into private assets or sources of personal profit, saying such conduct would not be tolerated. The allegations have not been tested in court.