EFCC recovers 324 houses, documents for Kano pensioners

The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has handed over documents of properties and 324 houses recovered for Kano State pensioners to the affected individuals.

The development was a result of an investigation carried out by the EFCC into a N4.1bn Pension Trust Fund denied pensioners by successive Kano State government administrations.

The EFCC probe followed a petition by a group known as “Concerned Kano State Workers and Pensioners,” over the alleged misappropriation of pension funds in the state.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, revealed the development in a statement on Monday.

He noted that the properties were handed over to the affected persons following a final forfeiture order granted by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Oyewale said, “Findings by the EFCC showed that the state government entered into a tripartite agreement with the Kano State Pension Trust Fund to build housing estates for an aggregate sum of N41bn, out of which the Pension Trust Fund was to contribute N4.1bn.

“However, the contribution of the pensioners was used to build the houses in three estates located in Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam Bandirawo city, Sheikh Nasiru Kabara (Amana) city and Sheikh Khalifa Ishaq Rabiu city, all in Kano state and two former governors of the state fraudulently discounted and sold the houses to their cronies and associates, leaving the pension trustees with low budget and uncompleted houses.

“The EFCC stepped in and upon completion of the investigation, filed for and acquired a final forfeiture order of the 324 properties to the Kano State Pension Fund Trustees.

“While handing over the documents of the 324 properties worth N4.1bn to the pensioners on Monday, March 18, 2024, the Abuja Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Adeniyi Adebayo, assured that the EFCC would continue to do its best to rid the nation of fraudulent practices.

“Representatives of the Kano State Pension Board, Hassan Aminu, Kubra Bichi and Salisu Abubakar, who received the documents on behalf of the workers and pensioners, expressed delight and joy with the EFCC for assisting them in recovering their houses.”