Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has starkly equated the battle against corruption in Nigeria to the perilous fight against armed Colombian drug cartels. He voiced this strong assessment during a public presentation in Lagos, recounting his recent arrest and detention by security agents, an ordeal he links directly to his investigations into high-profile graft cases within Kano State. This comparison underscores the profound risks faced by those actively combating systemic corruption in the nation.

Magaji detailed his harrowing experience, which saw him apprehended last Friday by armed security personnel and transported overnight from Kano to Abuja. He described being bundled into a vehicle, sandwiched between armed officers for 17 hours, a journey during which he feared potential attacks by bandits. His detention, he asserted, stemmed from his relentless pursuit of numerous corruption petitions, particularly those implicating powerful political figures.

During his investigations, the PCACC chairman claimed to have uncovered a web of illicit financial activities, including billions of naira in diverted public funds. He specifically pointed to fraudulent land rents and irregularities within the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). A significant aspect of his probe involved public-private partnership ventures, many of which he claimed were linked to former Kano State Governor and ex-APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, against whom the PCACC is currently prosecuting corruption allegations.

Magaji drew a direct correlation between the pervasive theft of public funds by corrupt officials and the escalating violence and banditry plaguing Nigeria’s northern regions. He argued that the self-serving policies of these individuals create “stagnant pools of poverty and human misery,” which in turn serve as fertile ground for recruiting criminals. This systemic corruption, he warned, undermines national security and societal stability.

Expressing profound dismay at the alleged compromise of law enforcement, Magaji questioned the Nigeria Police Force’s decision to launch a criminal investigation into a judicial process he had duly initiated under constitutional provisions. He stated that he possessed a fiat from the Attorney General to prosecute offences against Kano State laws, making his arrest for fulfilling his legal duty both prejudicial and morally indefensible. He further alleged that powerful, corrupt politicians were manipulating some police officers against him.

The anti-corruption campaigner likened corrupt politicians to “cancerous ailments” requiring “painful but necessary surgical operations” for Nigeria to regain its international standing. He stressed that effective anti-corruption efforts are impossible when those tasked with upholding the law are themselves susceptible to influence by the very figures they are meant to investigate. He called upon Nigerians to actively cast their votes against a “league of corrupt elites” who have betrayed the public trust.

These critical remarks were made during the public presentation of the 19th Edition of the Compendium on 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria, held in Lagos. The event, organized by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre in collaboration with local and international partners, commemorated this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day. Its central theme was ‘Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity’.

Magaji’s experiences in Kano have reinforced his conviction that corrupt politicians exhibit a viciousness comparable to the world’s most violent drug lords, willing to destroy the nation rather than face justice. He asserted unequivocally that Nigeria cannot achieve prosperity as long as individuals engaged in corrupt practices continue to dominate its political landscape, undermining development and public welfare.

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Keywords: Nigeria corruption, Kano anti-graft commission, Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, Abdullahi Ganduje, Anti-corruption fight Nigeria, Public funds diversion, Police compromise Nigeria, International Anti-Corruption Day