Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has likened Nigeria’s fight against corruption to the perilous campaign against armed Colombian drug cartels.

Speaking on ‘Youth as Catalyst of Integrity: Building a Corruption-Free Future for Nigeria’ during the public presentation of the 19th Edition of the Compendium on 100 High-Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria in Lagos, Magaji recounted the dangers of exposing corruption in the country.

He drew parallels between the decades-long US-Colombian efforts to dismantle drug cartels—which resulted in thousands of deaths, primarily among law enforcement personnel—and the risks faced by anti-graft officials in Nigeria.

Established in April 2005, the PCACC prosecutes corruption in Kano State and is currently handling cases involving former Kano Governor and ex-APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. Magaji linked rising violence and banditry in northern Nigeria to the diversion of public funds by corrupt officials, arguing that poverty created by mismanagement provides fertile ground for criminal recruitment.

“Corrupt politicians are like cancerous ailments that must be removed through a painful but necessary surgical operation before Nigeria can reclaim her pride in the comity of nations,” Magaji said.

He revealed that his investigations uncovered billions in illicit funds connected to public-private partnerships and fraudulent land rents, particularly involving Ganduje. His work, he said, has led to ceaseless threats against his life and family, culminating in his arrest last Friday in Kano. Magaji recounted being transported overnight to Abuja, sandwiched between armed policemen, for 17 harrowing hours.

“The cases I started investigating in Kano involved billions of public funds diverted by officials. They are desperate to kill in order to protect stolen funds. They are as dangerous as drug cartels in Colombia. Fighting them is like fighting drug lords,” he stated.

Magaji also criticized the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly being used by powerful politicians to target him, questioning the legality of investigating a judicial process already sanctioned under Section 211 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“I was given fiat by the Attorney General to prosecute allegations of offence against the laws of Kano State. Why arrest me for performing my legal duty? Corrupt politicians are as vicious as the world’s most violent drug lords, prepared to kill and burn the country rather than face justice,” he said.

The event was organized by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre, in partnership with local and international groups, as part of the International Anti-Corruption Day celebration. This year’s theme was ‘Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity’.

Magaji concluded that Nigeria cannot achieve prosperity as long as corrupt actors dominate its political space.