A Federal High Court has okayed the investigation of deposed Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II over an alleged N2.2 billion land scam.
Lewis Allagoa, the presiding judge on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, 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, its chairman as well as the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Sanusi will face fresh anti-corruption charges three months after his deposition after he resigned for about six years.
He asked the court to restrict the four defendants from investigating him on the alleged land racketeering, arguing 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 probe Sanusi on the matter.
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 in 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.
The commission claimed 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 issue of the land racketeering suit came up again after the same High Court dismissed allegation of misappropriation of about N4.5 billion against the deposed emir.
Source: The Nation
