The Kano State Commissioner for Transport, Ibrahim Namadi, has been accused of receiving a $30,000 bribe from an alleged drug kingpin, sparking outrage within the state government and calls for his dismissal.
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A report by the State Security Service (SSS) revealed that Namadi allegedly collected the sum from one Sulaiman Danwawu, a well-known drug trafficker, in exchange for standing as his surety in court, DAILY NIGERIAN reports.
Danwawu, who has a long history of drug-related offences, was said to have turned to Namadi for help in securing temporary freedom from detention.
The SSS reportedly described the action as a serious breach of trust and recommended to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf that the commissioner be immediately removed from office.
Sources close to the Government House said Governor Yusuf was furious over the allegations, viewing Namadi’s involvement as a betrayal of his administration’s stance against drug abuse and trafficking. A committee was said to have been formed to further probe the matter, although insiders believe political dynamics might delay any disciplinary action.
Aside from the bribery scandal, more allegations have surfaced against the embattled commissioner. Namadi is accused of demanding monthly kickbacks of N500,000 from the Kano chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). He is also alleged to have sidelined the ministry’s permanent secretary, a move said to have paralyzed administrative operations and left critical memos unattended.
In response, Namadi has denied all accusations, dismissing them as baseless and untrue. However, tensions escalated when the state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, reportedly contacted a journalist investigating the case, accusing him of “harassment” and questioning the ethics of the report.