Some bureau de change (BDC) operators have implicated Abdullahi Rogo, Director-General of Protocol to the Kano State Governor, in a multi-billion-naira corruption scandal now under investigation by Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Premium Times reports. According to the newspaper, the operators, in statements to the two anti-graft agencies, detailed how they moved huge sums of public funds at Mr. Rogo’s request—transactions investigators say form the backbone of a suspected ₦6.5 billion fraud and money laundering scheme. Investigators allege that Mr. Rogo masterminded the diversion of billions of naira belonging to the Kano State Government, funnelling the funds through bureau de change operators, shell companies, and personal accounts. Read Also: APC Chieftain Urges Kano Govt to Allow Court Decide N6.5bn Diversion Case One operator, Gali Muhammad, told investigators that Mr. Rogo personally contacted him to source dollars. Another, Nasiru Adamu—managing director of Kazo Nazo and Namu Nakune—said that on November 9, 2023, his companies received ₦1.17 billion directly from Kano State’s Federation Account Allocation. He said he handed the dollar equivalent to Mr. Muhammad, who then delivered the cash to Mr. Rogo at the Kano Liaison Office in Asokoro, Abuja. Mr. Muhammad corroborated the account, saying he personally delivered $1 million in cash to the governor’s aide—a transaction investigators described as a “blatant disregard” of Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The probe has also roped in the then Kano State Accountant General, Abdussalam Abdulkadir, who allegedly facilitated payments with forged “letters of authority” from two oil companies. Executives of those firms later told the ICPC the contracts were fictitious and signed under Mr. Abdulkadir’s instructions. Investigators concluded that he conspired with Mr. Rogo to launder public funds through the BDC operators. The agencies say they have traced a financial chain linking Mr. Rogo directly to intermediaries who supplied him with dollars. On February 14, 2025, the ICPC formally invited him for questioning on allegations of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. His lawyers sought a rescheduling, but two days later, he filed a court application challenging the summons. Despite this, the ICPC pressed ahead, securing a court order in May for the forfeiture of ₦142 million traced to him. With no one coming forward to claim ownership, the court ordered a final forfeiture in July, ruling that the money was proceeds of corruption. So far, the ICPC has recovered ₦1.3 billion linked to Mr. Rogo, including funds traced to front companies and his personal accounts. Investigators allege he used firms such as H&M Nigeria Limited, A.Y. Maikifi Petroleum, Ammas Oil and Gas Limited, and AH Bello Business Solutions Ltd. to move funds. One account at Alternative Bank reportedly handled ₦3.07 billion in inflows and ₦2.6 billion in outflows in six months. Other accounts in his name at Zenith Bank reportedly recorded billions of naira in credits and debits, with balances now frozen under Post-No-Debit restrictions. Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has defended its aide, dismissing reports of a ₦6.5 billion diversion as “falsehoods” sponsored by political opponents bent on discrediting Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration. The government said all state financial transactions were budgeted and accounted for, explaining that the Directorate of Protocol is responsible for logistics, welfare, accommodation, and travel arrangements for the governor, as well as hosting dignitaries. It also argued that the accounting practices in question are common across Nigerian states and the federal government. Despite this defence, EFCC and ICPC investigators insist their findings point to one of the most brazen diversions of public funds in Kano’s recent history. They suggest that more revelations may emerge in the coming weeks as the probe deepens.
