IMMEDIATE past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has instituted a legal action against the Kaduna State House of Assembly for indicting him in an alleged Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Billion (₦432,000,000,000.00) fraud.
The Assembly had June received the report of an ad hoc committee set up to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai.
The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said most of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained, while in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, also said that a total ₦423 billion was allegedly siphoned by the El-Rufai’s administration leaving the state with huge liabilities.
The committee, therefore, recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai, and some members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.
The committee also recommended the immediate suspension of the Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under El-Rufai’s administration.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s legal team, led by Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) today filed a fundamental rights suit at a Federal High Court in Kaduna.
In the suit, El-Rufai asked the court to declare the report of the Assembly probe as null and void having not been given the opportunity of a fair hearing over the allegations levelled against him and his administration by the committee.
Joined in the suit as respondents are the Kaduna State House of Assembly state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice
Eighteen-Eleven Media