The Kano State Anti-corruption and Public Complaints Commission has begun investigation into the alleged disappearance of 132 students out of 550 who were supposed to benefit from the state’s N1.5b foreign scholarship.
The Commission is questioning two top officials of the state Ministry of Higher Education regarding the issue of 1,001 students supposedly studying in India and Kenya.
The State Government is sponsoring 1,001 postgraduate students to pursue their master’s degrees in India and Uganda.
The initiative is part of the government’s foreign scholarship scheme which was inaugurated by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Yusuf had recently hosted a farewell dinner for the first batch of 550 beneficiaries of the scholarship at the Government House, commending former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso for introducing the scheme.
It was gathered that only 418 students were actually sent abroad for studies, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining students.
When contacted, the Commission’s Public Relations Officer, Kabiru A. Kabiru, confirmed the report, saying the two top officials were interrogated over the alleged scholarship scam.
“We have commenced an intensive investigation to find out the truth of the matter and whoever is found to have been involved, would be prosecuted, no matter his position,” Kabiru warned.