EFCC Arrests Speaker of Kano House of Assembly, and 11 others

The EFCC Monday
swooped on the Kano State House of Assembly and
detained the Speaker of the House, Alh. Gambo Sallau,
alongside principal officers in what the state government
has described as a political assault on the state government
following the mass defection of the State Governor, Engr.
Rabiu Kwakwanso alongside several other key politicians in
government positions to the opposition All Progressive
Congress (APC) from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).

Arrested alongside the Speaker are the Deputy Speaker,
Isyaku Ali Danja, the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Majority
Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Minority Leader, Deputy
Minority Leader, Chairman House Committee on
Appropriation, Chairman House Committee on Finance and
Clerk of the House. Continue...
A statement by the Government of Kano State said it noted
with utter disappointment and surprise, the arrest of the
officials.
The statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations
to the state governor, Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, stated that
the public officials were apparently arrested in connection
with the budget amendment of 2013 of the State
Government, which has already been signed into law by the
state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
The statement added that the Speaker and his colleagues
have only exercised their constitutional responsibilities of
ensuring that budgets are properly articulated, to ensure
probity and accountability in public expenditure, so that in
the end, the citizens enjoy dividends of democracy.
“It is Chrystal clear that the above mentioned public officials
were arrested by the EFCC on the orders from the above,
because of the legislators’ defection to APC, in support of
Governor Kwankwaso,” the government said, adding that
“This action is obviously to intimidate and cow them into
submission for choosing to move to the progressive fold.
This action is not only despicable and absurd but also
capable of igniting crisis in the polity, thereby breaching the
relative peace that is being enjoyed in Kano state. It is
regrettable that the EFCC is allowing itself to be a tool of
witch-hunt in the hands of powers that be.”
THEWILL contacted the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson
Uwajaren, to seek further information on why the officials
were detained and the allegation of witch-hunt, he urged us
to email our questions for a formal response.
Mr. Uwajaren’s had not responded to our questions as at
the time of filing this report.