•Kano Assembly suspends investigation

•Osinbajo, IBB, Abdulsalami, Dangote intervene

The Kano State House of Assembly, yesterday, announced its decision to suspend the ongoing probe of Malam Muhammad Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano.

The decision came barely a week after the State Public Complaint and anti-Corruption Commission suspended its probe of the Emir.

An investigation had been launched into the finances of the Kano Emirate under Sanusi among other offences.

The monarch was alleged to have misappropriated an estimated N6 billion of the emirate’s funds, an allegation the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), denied via a press conference by the Emirate Council.

The probe was initiated in the heat of his criticism of the northern establishment once described the North as the poorest region in the country – a statement that did not go down well with his critics.

Speaker Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, told his colleagues at plenary that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, had written to the assembly, seeking the suspension of the probe.

He quoted Ganduje as saying prominent Nigerians like Acting President Yemi Osinbajo;  Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Ibrahim Babangida, former military president; Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state; Sa’ad Abubakar, sultan of Sokoto, Aliko Dangote and  Alhaji Aminu Dantata, both billionaire businessmen, among others had pleaded on behalf of the monarch.

The governor, in the letter, recalled that Sanusi  had demonstrated genuine contrition over his action during the reconciliation session convened  by the Northern Governors’ Forum in Kaduna State, “admitted all his mistakes and tendered an apology.”

After an extensive deliberation on the letter, the House unanimously voted against the continuation of the probe into the activities of the Emir of Kano.

The Assembly had inaugurated an eight-member committee, headed by Alhaji Labaran Abdul, the member representing Warawa Local Government, to investigate allegations of misappropriation of funds estimated at over N6 billion, in the coffers of the Emirate Council.

The probe followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by a member representing Nasarawa Local Government Area, Alhaji Ibrahim Gama.

Gama had frowned at comment credited to the Emir over the proposed Kano light rail project, which he argued was capable of tarnishing the image of the government and the assembly.

“The Emir during his speech in Kaduna, alleged that the governor and his entourage, including me as the Chairman of the House Committee on Works wasted one month in China seeking for loan to construct rail.

“The Emir’s statement was not true, we spent only four days in China and our visit was to find out the capability of the company to handle the rail project,” he had stated.

He also took a swipe at  Emir Sanusi for sending his daughter to represent him in one of the functions organised by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group in Abuja, describing it as inimical to the tradition of the Emirate Council.

“There are many responsible Emirate Council members who could represent him at the programme. This is the first time we are seeing such in the historical traditional home,” he had stated.

He had also accused the Emir of introducing religious issues that are contrary to the teachings of Islam, saying such things were capable of discrediting  the religion.

Gama further accused the  Emir of involving himself in political issues, including making statements against President Muhammad Buhari.