The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has questioned the consistency of Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign, citing the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Sanusi raised the concern during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, on the sidelines of the launch of The Unexplained Wealth Trilogy, authored by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, in Lagos.
The Emir said the existence of anti-corruption laws was not enough, arguing that the institutions responsible for investigation, prosecution and adjudication must ensure that the laws were effectively enforced.
He alleged that some corruption cases had been discontinued or failed to progress because those involved had political connections or belonged to what he described as the “right political environment.”
“We have seen in this country people who are facing corruption charges who basically just get those charges dropped because they belong to the right political environment or have the right political support,” Sanusi said.
He said the handling of some corruption cases had consequently generated questions over whether anti-corruption agencies were applying the law consistently or whether some prosecutions were being influenced by political considerations.
“We have legal processes where people are questioning if, in fact, it is a fight against corruption or political persecution,” he said.
El-Rufai’s detention
Speaking specifically about El-Rufai, Sanusi said the former governor’s continued detention without conviction could fuel questions about the circumstances surrounding the case.
“An example is my brother, Nasir El-Rufai, who’s been denied bail. He’s been in detention for seven months, not having been convicted for anything, using the courts,” the Emir said.
He added, “So people begin to wonder, is this really a fight against corruption, or is it a political battle?”
Sanusi, however, stressed that his broader concern was not limited to one individual or case but to the effectiveness of Nigeria’s institutions in enforcing anti-corruption laws.
He urged politicians, judicial authorities and other institutions involved in the administration of justice to ensure that existing laws were applied for the purposes for which they were enacted.
“Now, until the politicians and those who control political office and the judiciary decide that they are going to use these laws for the purpose for which they are set up, we’re not going to get anywhere,” he said.
The Emir also called for greater scrutiny of the institutions responsible for implementing anti-corruption laws, saying legislative reforms alone would not resolve the challenges confronting the country’s anti-graft efforts.
“So the laws are one thing, and I think it’s a good thing that we’re looking at the laws, but we also have to look at the institutions that are involved in the structure of the law, and that is only where you make progress,” he said.
He added that the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign would ultimately depend on the ability of institutions to enforce the law without regard to political connections.
Sanusi’s comments come amid continuing public and political debate over the treatment of corruption cases involving politically exposed persons in Nigeria.
