Security Report Alleges Kano Commissioner Took $30,000 to Bail Notorious Drug Trafficker

The embattled Kano State commissioner for Transport, Ibrahim Namadi, has allegedly collected a $30,000 bribe from a notorious drug dealer, Sulaiman Danwawu, in order to stand as his surety, according to a report filed by the State Security Service, SSS.

Mr Namadi, who was once declared wanted by the police for fraud and later charged with criminal offences in 2013, was appointed as commissioner and member of the Kano State Executive Council by Governor Abba Yusuf.

Sources at the SSS headquarters in Abuja said that the service had secretly investigated the bribe-for-bail scandal and also recommended the dismissal of the commissioner to the governor.

According to a report obtained by this paper from Daily Nigerian, the commissioner was paid $30,000 before agreeing to stand as surety for the notorious narco-trafficker.

After widespread public condemnation, the governor constituted an investigative panel to probe the suretyship scandal and submit a report within one week.

Having supported the police to arrest Mr Danwawu and subsequently mounted pressure on the NDLEA not to compromise by releasing him on bail, the governor was incensed by his commissioner’s involvement in the scandal.

“Governor Abba Yusuf sees the commissioner’s action as a direct affront to his government’s war against drug abuse,” said another source.

“Some months ago, the state security council, which is chaired by the governor himself, resolved that the only solution to checking the influx of illicit drugs into Kano was to arrest Danwawu.

“The governor therefore approved a discreet operation to arrest Danwawu, which CP Bakori successfully executed.”

Why are the governor’s hands tied?

It was learned that Governor Abba Yusuf initially had plans to sack the commissioner immediately but suspended the plan after allegedly “consulting” the NNPP supremo, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

According to Daily Nigerian, Mr Namadi, who was nominated for appointment as commissioner by Mr Kwankwaso, was reluctantly appointed by the governor after months of delay.

“The commissioner has many scandals but the governor’s hands are tied because he does not want to be disloyal to Kwankwaso. Currently, the commissioner is fighting with the state chairman of NURTW, Kabiru Labour, for imposing on the union a payment of mandatory N500,000 “return” monthly,” said an insider.

The commissioner is also bypassing his permanent secretary, Aldulmumin Babani, in running the affairs of the ministry.

According to sources, the frosty relationship between the governor and the embattled commissioner has caused an administrative logjam as more than 30 memos from the Ministry of Transport were either marked “keep in view”, “see me” or unapproved by the governor.

“Owing to the commissioner’s incompetence as well as lack of harmony with his permanent secretary, the governor is often sidelining the ministry even in matters that directly affect it. Recently, a memo was presented before the Kano State Executive Council for the purchase of solar tricycles, but the Ministry of Transport was not the initiator of the memo,” said a source.

When contacted to respond, Mr Namadi denied all the allegations, saying: “I’m not aware of all the allegations you mentioned, it’s not true.”

Background

On July 24, it was reported how Mr Namadi came to the rescue of the accused drug kingpin after a no-nonsense judge, Justice MS Shu’aibu, imposed what appeared to be stringent bail conditions.

While granting the bail application on July 16, the judge ordered the accused to produce a serving commissioner and member of the Kano State Executive Council as a surety as well as a deposit of N5 million.

But what appeared a herculean task of producing a member of Governor Abba Yusuf’s cabinet to stand as a surety for the accused drug dealer was simplified by Mr Namadi who swore to an affidavit of means and wrote a letter to the court, standing as a surety.

In a letter dated 18 July, 2025 and addressed to the deputy chief registrar of the Federal High Court, Kano, Mr Namadi applied to stand as a surety to Mr Danwawu.

The letter read:

“I humbly wish to apply to stand as surety for the Defendant in the above suit (SULAIMAN AMINU) who was granted bail by this Honourable Court in the sum of Three Million Naira only (N3,000,000.00) and one surety in the like sum also the Defendant shall deposit N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only which shall be placed in an interest yielding Account.”

Source: Daily Nigerian