Kano anti-corruption agency probes ‘disappearance’ of 132 foreign scholarship beneficiaries

By Aminu Garko

The Kano Anti-corruption and Public Complaints Commission has begun investigating the alleged disappearance of 132 students out of 550 who were supposed to benefit from the state’s N1.5 billion foreign scholarship.

The commission is questioning two top officials at the state Ministry of Higher Education regarding the issue of 1,001 students supposedly studying in India and Kenya.

The State Government sponsored 1,001 postgraduate students to pursue their master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

The initiative is part of the government’s foreign scholarship scheme which Gov. Abba Yusuf inaugurated.

Yusuf recently hosted a farewell dinner for the first batch of 550 beneficiaries of the scholarship at the Government House, commending former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso for introducing the scheme.

It was, however, learnt that only 418 students were actually sent abroad for studies, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining students.

When contacted, the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Kabiru A. Kabiru, confirmed the report, saying the two top officials were interrogated over the alleged scholarship scam.

He said an investigation is ongoing to identify and bring those responsible for the alleged scam to justice.

“Preliminary investigations uncovered fraudulent activities at the office of the Ministry for High Education over the postgraduate students to pursue their master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

“We opened investigation to find out the truth of the matter. Whoever is found to have been involved, will be prosecuted, no matter how highly placed,” Kabiru warned.