A web of corruption allegations has tightened around Abdullahi Rogo, the Director-General of Protocol to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, after bureau de change (BDC) operators and the state’s former Accountant General implicated him in a staggering ₦6.5 billion fraud and money laundering scheme.
According to exclusive documents and witness statements obtained by investigators at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rogo allegedly diverted billions of naira in public funds through bureau de change operators, shell companies, and personal accounts — leaving a damning paper trail.
In his confession, BDC operator Gali Muhammad told investigators that Mr. Rogo personally contacted him to source dollars. On November 9, 2023, another operator, Nasiru Adamu, Managing Director of Kazo Nazo and Namu Nakune, revealed his companies received ₦1.17 billion directly from Kano State’s Federation Account Allocation the same day.
Adamu said he exchanged the funds into dollars and handed them over to Muhammad, who in turn delivered $1 million in cash to Mr. Rogo at the Kano Liaison Office in Asokoro, Abuja.
Investigators described the transaction as a “blatant violation” of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The scandal widened when ICPC traced the fraudulent disbursement to then Kano State Accountant General, Abdussalam Abdulkadir. Investigators say Abdulkadir fabricated “letters of authority” using the names of two oil firms — A.Y. Mai Kifi Oil and Gas Ltd. and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd.
Both companies later told investigators the contracts were fictitious and admitted they signed under pressure from Abdulkadir. The Accountant General, while acknowledging his role in authorizing the payments, reportedly failed to justify why state funds were funneled through BDC operators.
ICPC concluded that Abdulkadir and Rogo conspired to launder billions in Kano State funds.
On February 14, 2025, ICPC invited Rogo to answer questions on conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering. Instead, his lawyers sought adjournments and later challenged the summons in court.
Despite the legal manoeuvres, ICPC secured an ex parte order for the interim forfeiture of ₦142 million linked to Rogo. By July 2, 2025, the court issued a final forfeiture order, ruling the funds were proceeds of corruption.
So far, investigators have recovered ₦1.3 billion linked to Rogo’s personal and corporate accounts. Forensic checks show suspicious activity in his Zenith Bank accounts, which recorded inflows and outflows of over ₦5 billion between 2022 and 2025.
Another account under AH Bello Business Solutions Ltd., allegedly controlled by Rogo, received over ₦3 billion within six months — funds investigators say originated from the Kano State Directorate of Protocol.
In spite of mounting evidence, the Kano State Government has dismissed the allegations, branding them as “politically motivated falsehoods” orchestrated by opponents determined to tarnish Governor Abba Yusuf’s image.
The government insists all transactions were properly budgeted, adding that the Directorate of Protocol merely handles welfare, logistics, and travel arrangements for the governor and visiting dignitaries.
Yet, prosecutors maintain that Rogo’s case represents one of the boldest and most audacious diversions of public funds in Kano’s recent history.
Both the EFCC and ICPC are pressing forward with their investigations, tracing more accounts, shell firms, and associates believed to be part of Rogo’s laundering chain.
Officials hinted that “shocking revelations” are still to come, with prosecutors poised to file fresh charges as more billions are uncovered.
For now, Abdullahi Rogo — once a powerful aide within Kano’s corridors of power — stands at the center of a scandal that could redefine the battle against corruption in Northern Nigeria.
PIONEER NEWS 