By Yekeen Nurudeen

In one of the latest big discoveries of proceeds of corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has discovered 23 estates with about 202 houses, allegedly belonging to one Sanusi Muhammed, an aide of former Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda.

ICPC also found arms and ammunition, five exotic cars and 15 brand new air-conditioners said to have been donated by the Government of Republic of China to Bauchi state government during Yuguda’s administration.

Also found in Muhammed’s house were 20 bales of brocade, 28 designer wristwatches and an undisclosed amount of cash in foreign and local currencies.

The properties and other items were discovered in Bauchi metropolis by operatives of the anti-graft Commission following a tip-off by a whistle-blower.

Mohammed, also known as  Sanusi Admin, was the Personal Assistant to  Yuguda between 2007 and 2015 when he was the Bauchi State governor.

According to an  official of ICPC who did want to be named because he is not allowed to speak to the press,  the Commission received a report from a whistle-blower which prompted the anti-graft agency to act immediately.

He however could not immediately say if the properties were directly linked to the ex-governor or not, noting that investigations were  still ongoing.

“We stormed Sanusi’s New GRA residence in Bauchi on Friday and searched all the rooms, and proceeded to his other estates within the metropolis on Saturday,” he said.

According to him, investigation is on-going, and the properties have been marked ‘under ICPC investigation’.

When contacted on phone, the suspect confirmed the incident, saying “the matter is still under investigation by the ICPC so I have nothing to say in that regard.”

It has been a season of discoveries for anti-corruption agencies in the country in the last one month.

It would be recalled that officials of  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on  February 3, 2017 recovered a whopping sum of $9.772,800 from a former Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu following a raid on a property belonging to him.

Yakubu told the EFCC that  huge cash which was hidden in a fire proof safe  in the slums of Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna was a gift from unnamed persons.

In the same month, precisely, February 22, operatives of the EFCC also recovered seventeen exotic vehicles in a warehouse belonging to a former Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, located at Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna.

The recovery was sequel to an intelligence report the Commission received that  money and properties suspected to be proceeds of crime were being warehoused at the former custom boss’ premises.

Similarly on February 26, operatives of Department of State Security, DSS, discovered arms and ammunition that were stacked in two expensive vehicles-a Mercedes Benz S550 (BWR 135AH), and Masarati 4.7(BWR 207 AJ), belonging to a former governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam at Dunes in Abuja.