Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, Hashimu Arugungu on Wednesday paraded a former legislator, Sale Fawa and 27 others for defrauding the state of N5.3 million.
Parading the suspects before newsmen in Dutse, Arugungu said that Fawa, who was the Chairman, House Committee on Salary and Pensions, and eight others, operated an office which they used to defraud people.
He said that the suspects collected N2.1 million from the State Pensions Board through their office on behalf of one Abdullahi Muhammed, whom they claimed was a dead primary school teacher.
The commissioner pointed out that the lawmaker also forged a file of one Mutari Habu along with nine others to claim the sum of N1.6 million from the pensions board.
“The atrocity came to the fore when a good Samaritan, about three weeks ago, brought the information to us on how syndicates were defrauding the state government through the state Department of Pension and Salaries.
“The police swung into action and conducted a full scale investigation and found out that these people have their office in Royal Tropicana Hotel, Kano, where they perpetrate the evil act.”
Argungu said that a Sharia Court Registrar, Area Court Judge, a staff of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and a staff officer of Gumel Local Government, were among those involved in the fraud.
He said that during the investigation, the police found out that there were some other accomplices, who had defrauded the government of N1.6 million.
The commissioner said that 10 of the accomplices were helping the police to unravel more information on the fraud.
“A retired civil servant, Mohammed Sabo has confessed to us on how Fawa took him to Royal Tropicana and perfected the deal where the sum of N200,000 was given to him.
“They did it in such a way that they even presented some fake next of kin, who are also given stipends,” Arugungu said.
The former lawmaker told newsmen that he was guilty of the offence and asked for leniency.
The police commissioner appeal to the public to give useful information to the police to rid the society of criminals.