EFCC secures forfeiture of 324 properties ‘linked to pension fraud’ in Kano

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 324 properties linked to the alleged pension fraud in the Kano state pension fund trustees.

A statement by Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of EFCC, said Inyang Ekwo, a judge of the federal high court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, made the final forfeiture of the properties.

The order followed a motion by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the properties “which were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities of Kano state pension fund trustees”.

According to Uwujaren, the properties forfeited include 168 homes situated at Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo City, Kano; 122 houses at Sheikh Nasiru Kabara (Amana City), Kano and 38 houses at Sheikh Khalifa Ishaq Rabiu City, Kano.

“The 168 houses at Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo City are made up of 55 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached houses; 51 units of 3-bedroom houses; 7 units of 3-bedroom converted; 17 units of 3-bedroom Carport; 3 units of 4-bedroom duplex; 9 units of 5-bedroom duplex and 22 units of 3-bedroom green-roof,” the statement reads.

“The 122 houses at Sheikh Nasiru Kabara, Kano include 14 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached houses; 62 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached houses; 4 units of 3-bedroom converted; 13 units of 3-bedroom converted; 3 units of 3-bedroom detached houses; 11 units of 3-bedroom detached houses, 3 units of 3-bedroom carport, 5 units of 3-bedroom carport 2 units of 3-bedroom green roof; 3 units of 4-bedroom carport and 2 units of 4-bedroom pergola.

“The 38 houses at Sheikh Khalifa Ishaq Rabiu City, Kano include 19 units of 3-bedroom bungalow; 5 units of 3 green-roof; 6 units of 4-bedroom duplex, 2 units of 4-bedroom BQ, 1 unit of 4-bedroom duplex and 5 units of 5-bedroom duplex.”

In 2015, some workers and pensioners in Kano wrote a petition to the EFCC and accused Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of the state, of mismanaging pension remittances contributed between 2011 and 2015.

The former Kano governor was accused of using pension remittances through the Kano state pension fund trustees to build houses for pensioners.

In October 2021, Kwankwaso was grilled by the anti-graft agency over the petition.

Kwankwaso was governor of Kano from 1999 to 2015 and he spent a second term as governor from 2011 to 2015.