Jigawa Ramadan Iftar dismissal sees 22 vendors removed over alleged cheating, mismanagement, and food quality issues during 2026 programme
The Jigawa State Government has dismissed 22 vendors and companies participating in the ongoing Ramadan Iftar programme over allegations of cheating, mismanagement of public funds, and dishonesty regarding food quality and quantity.
The announcement was made on Friday by the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Special Duties, Auwalu Sankara.
The programme, initiated by Governor Umar Namadi, aims to provide relief and nutritious meals to 7.9 million beneficiaries across 640 free meal centres during the 2026 Ramadan period.
Sankara stated that the dismissals followed a comprehensive supervisory report and field monitoring exercise, which uncovered serious misconduct barely two weeks into the initiative.
Public complaints had also raised concerns about irregularities in food distribution and financial dealings.
Among the affected vendors and entities are Haruna Ladan Investment and Property, Musa A. Jibrin (Jahun LGA), Nura Yahaya (Taura LGA), Usman Umar Malam, Muhammad Suleiman, Musa Salisu Kafin, and Dauda Yusuf (Kafin Hausa LGA), as well as several others across Birnin Kudu, Sule Tankarkar, Hadejia, Malam Madori, Guri, and Gwaram LGAs.
“These individuals and entities have been dismissed for gross misconduct, mismanagement of public funds, and poor handling of the programme,” Sankara said, emphasising the government’s zero-tolerance stance toward actions undermining its humanitarian vision.
He added that the dismissed vendors would be replaced with deserving contractors to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services during the sacred month.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.