The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has retrieved several government-owned vehicles from former officials who allegedly refused to return them after leaving office last month.
The recovery followed the resignation of at least five commissioners after Governor Abba Yusuf defected to the All Progressives Congress on Monday, 26th January 2026.
Commission Chairman Sa’idu Yahaya confirmed the operation in a telephone interview on Thursday, saying the vehicles were taken from the former Commissioner for Security, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar (retired); former Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata; former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Adams Aliyu Kibiya; and Nasiru Sani Garo, former Commissioner for Special Projects.
Yahaya explained that the operation, carried out in Kano on Thursday morning, followed earlier directives from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government ordering the return of official vehicles.
“The Office of the Secretary to the Kano State Government had issued formal letters requesting the immediate return of the vehicles. However, the affected officials did not comply, prompting the agency to recover them,” he said.
He added that the exercise was consistent with the commission’s mandate to protect public property. “Government assets are not personal property. Once an official leaves office, all vehicles and assets must be returned immediately,” Yahaya said.
The commission had exhausted all administrative channels before enforcement. “We allowed ample time for voluntary compliance, but the directives were ignored. We had no option but to enforce the law,” he noted.
Yahaya stressed that the action was not politically motivated but aimed solely at ensuring accountability. “This is about protecting the resources of the people of Kano State. Public trust depends on transparency and accountability, and the commission will take action against anyone found mismanaging or unlawfully retaining government property.”
