The ex-governor and the five officials have also been ordered to refund the N2.9 billion they allegedly fleeced from the state coffers while they were in government.

Briefing newsmen in Sokoto after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said the former governor, the ex-secretary to the state government (SSG), Alhaji Mohammed Maigeri Dingyadi, the former special adviser on Rural Electrification, three former permanent secretaries, as well as the former director of finance, Adamu Gurori are ‘culpable of fraud’.

Abdulkadir said the culprits are to be charged for criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, punishable under section 97(1), Section 315 of the Penal Code and sections 125 and 170 of the Shari’ah Penal Code.

According to him, Alhaji Bafarawa and the former SSG are also to be charged for the offence of, “public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public,” punishable under section 299 of the Shari’ah Penal Code following payment they allegedly made from the Joint Account to the office of the SSG in contravention of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the Local Government Law, 2000 of Sokoto State and the state Local Government Joint Account Law, No 3, 2002 of Sokoto State.
A chunky slice of the N2.9 billion are to be refunded by the former governor, leaving a few hundreds of millions of naira to the other five former officials.

Reading from the white paper released yesterday, Abdulkadir said the decision of the State Executive Council followed the recommendations in the report submitted by a committee set up by the state government in November last year.

He said the Commission of Inquiry was also instituted to look at the activities of the Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA), state Local Government Joint Account and Ministry of Water Resources, but that in the course of taking evidence on pilgrims welfare agency, the commission was served with an order of interim injunction restraining it from compelling the former chairman of the Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Umaru Kwabo, to testify before the commission, pending the final determination of the suit he filed before the court against the commission.
He said although no memorandum was received at the end of it’s public hearing, the commission admitted 135 exhibits in evidence, while 15 witnesses testified in respect of inquiry into the activities of the Pilgrims Welfare Agency, just as 128 exhibits and 47 witnesses were admitted and testified respectively in respect of the inquiry into the activities of the state Local Government Joint Account.

The attorney general said the former SSG “is hereby directed to refund the sum of N292, 743,147.56 to the state Local Government Joint Account, an amount he said was allegedly diverted from the stabilization fund meant for the 23 local government councils to his office from the Joint Account.

“The former governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the signatories to the Joint Account i.e. the former permanent secretaries, as well as the former director of Finance, Adamu Gurori, are culpable of fraud.
On the unlawful payment from the Sultanate Council Finds administered by the former SSG to the Pilgrims Welfare Agency, the attorney general directed the agency to refund the balance of the said loan in the sum of N15 million to the Sultanate Council.

He said government has accepted the recommendation of the panel in respect of payment of N4,616,285,970.00 for the construction and rehabilitation of primary schools in the state and said the former governor, the former commissioner, Ministry of Local Government, Habibu Halilu Modachi, the former permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government, Sambo Bello Danchadi, the former director of Finance, Ministry for Local Government, Adamu Gurori, are all culpable.

All the above mentioned public officers, he said would be prosecuted for the offence of “public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury” punishable under section 123 of the Penal Code and section 299 of the Shari’ah Penal Code.

He also said government has ordered Alhaji Tukru Alkali, a former special adviser in the cabinet of Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, to refund the sum of N343, 715, 500.00 to the Joint Account or in default be prosecuted before the Sokoto State Public Funds and Property (Recovery) Panel.
The Attorney General said these punishments should serve as a deterrent to former officials of the state government and those currently serving in whatever capacity in the state. He appealed to all Sokoto State Government workers to be prudent and transparent in their official dealings in order to avoid embarrassing situations now or in future.