The ICPC started investigating money problems with the Kaduna train system built when Nasir El-Rufai ran the state. In June 2024, a lawyer named M. Yahaya asked them to investigate. He claimed the past leaders misused public cash through a deal with Indo Kaduna Mrts JV Nigeria Limited.
Papers show Kaduna officials signed an agreement with this company in October 2016, but the weird part was that the company didn't even exist yet. The business opened a bank account anyway two months later. Then money from Kaduna taxpayers started flowing in—first N890.3 million, then another N2.3 billion, followed by N7.9 billion. All this happened in just weeks.
The ICPC noticed El-Rufai approved these payments despite no train system ever being built. Former leaders fought back against these claims. They said the train idea started as a team effort with an Indian business called Skipper. The state agreed to pay 15% of costs between $600-700 million with plans for India's EXIM Bank to loan the rest.
These past officials explained they spent N890 million on research by French experts. They claim everything stopped when Nigeria's federal leaders refused to back the loan. The former team accused the ICPC of unfair actions and listening only to current Kaduna officials. They warned such behavior might scare away companies wanting to work with Nigerian states in the future. The case remains open as investigators keep digging.
Papers show Kaduna officials signed an agreement with this company in October 2016, but the weird part was that the company didn't even exist yet. The business opened a bank account anyway two months later. Then money from Kaduna taxpayers started flowing in—first N890.3 million, then another N2.3 billion, followed by N7.9 billion. All this happened in just weeks.
The ICPC noticed El-Rufai approved these payments despite no train system ever being built. Former leaders fought back against these claims. They said the train idea started as a team effort with an Indian business called Skipper. The state agreed to pay 15% of costs between $600-700 million with plans for India's EXIM Bank to loan the rest.
These past officials explained they spent N890 million on research by French experts. They claim everything stopped when Nigeria's federal leaders refused to back the loan. The former team accused the ICPC of unfair actions and listening only to current Kaduna officials. They warned such behavior might scare away companies wanting to work with Nigerian states in the future. The case remains open as investigators keep digging.
