EFCC, ICPC Keep Silent As Kebbi Pilgrim Agency Chair Defends Campaign Donations

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have kept silent over calls for the scrutiny of the over N500 million campaign donations by the chairman of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Faruk Musa Yaro Enabo.

The donations, comprising vehicles, motorcycles and other empowerment items distributed to stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have sparked public debate, with concerns raised over the source of the funds used to finance the exercise.

Enquiries sent to the spokespersons of the two anti-graft agencies yielded no response as of the time of filing this report.

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, and his ICPC counterpart, John Odey, did not respond to requests for clarification on whether either commission had received a petition, commenced preliminary enquiries or planned to investigate the donations.

The ICPC spokesperson later requested more time to gather information on the issue but had not responded as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the executive chairman of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (KBSPWA), Faruku Musa Enabo, has said that he bought 225 motorcycles and 60 cars with his personal savings and proceeds from contracts awarded to him by Governor Nasir Idris and other friends outside the state.

He said the items were donated to the state’s APC Campaign Council to support the governor’s re-election bid in 2027.

He made this clarification during a telephone interview with Leadership on Monday, following an enquiry by the reporter about the source of funds used to purchase the items donated in support of Governor Idris.

He said, “Although I am not in Kebbi at the moment, as I am in Abuja following the flag-off of the presidential campaign in Kaduna, I can explain over the phone, just as I did at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi before Governor Idris and other politicians during the handover of these items. I bought them with the proceeds from contracts awarded to me by Kaura Gwandu and other friends.”

“Besides, everyone in Kebbi State knows me as a businessman who operates both within the country and abroad. I saved the proceeds from my business activities, coupled with the earnings from contracts I secured, pooled the funds together and purchased these items, which I donated to His Excellency, Governor Nasir Idris, in support of his 2027 campaign,” Enabo added.

He further refuted claims that the money used to purchase the donated items came from the N10 billion reportedly allocated to his agency by the state government last year to complete that year’s Hajj exercise.

He noted that many of his friends and colleagues had assisted him financially to facilitate campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections in support of his political principals.

He advised people to focus on the facts rather than rumours when seeking to clarify issues.

Enabo had donated more than 70 vehicles and 225 motorcycles to APC coordinators, elected representatives and other party stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.