KANO, Kano State, Nigeria – A political and legal confrontation has unfolded in Kano State after five former commissioners, including the son of a prominent Nigerian political figure, filed a lawsuit against the state government over the recovery of official vehicles assigned to them while in office.
The dispute began on Thursday, February 26, 2026, when operatives of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission carried out an operation to retrieve vehicles from the residences of the former officials. The commission is a state agency responsible for investigating complaints and corruption-related matters.
Among those challenging the action is Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Commissioner for Youth and Sports and son of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former Governor of Kano State and influential political leader in northern Nigeria. The other former commissioners involved are Nasiru Sule Garo, who served as Commissioner for Special Duties; Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar, former Commissioner for Internal Security; Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs; and Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata, former Commissioner for Science and Technology.
Their resignations followed the political defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s ruling political party at the federal level. The move reshaped political alliances in Kano State and deepened divisions between supporters of the governor and loyalists of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Air Vice Marshal Umar has formally filed a suit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, a federal court that handles employment and related disputes. The case, registered as NICN/KN/14/2026, lists the Attorney General of Kano State and two others as defendants.
In the court filing, Umar’s lawyers alleged that operatives of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission entered his residence on Thursday, February 26, 2026, disturbed his family and removed his official vehicle. He is asking the court to order the immediate return of the vehicle and to compel the authorities to disclose the identities of those who conducted the operation.
In a statement signed by Umar on behalf of the group, the former commissioners accused the state government of acting with a “vindictive attitude” and intimidation. They argued that under the Revised 2023 Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission Act, official vehicles are part of the entitlements attached to certain political offices.
They also referred to the case of Ibrahim Ali Namadi, a former Commissioner for Transport who resigned earlier and was reportedly allowed to retain his vehicle. The group further alleged that government agents removed personal vehicles belonging to their spouses while they were not at home. “Our personal liberty and sanctity of our family members were grossly violated,” the statement read.
Responding earlier to the controversy, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Saidu Yahaya, said the recovery exercise was backed by a valid court order. He stated that the former commissioners had ignored prior directives instructing them to return the vehicles.
The case now moves to judicial review, where the court will determine whether the vehicles qualify as personal entitlements or remain state assets subject to recovery. The outcome could influence how similar disputes are handled in Kano State and other parts of Nigeria.