A Magistrate Court sitting in Kano State has on Wednesday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Kumbotso Local government chairman, Kabiru Panshekara over alleged diversion of palliative items meant for the downtrodden to cushion the effect of the lockdown order occasioned by the novel coronavirus.

The Magistrate court 82, presided over by Musa Ibrahim Fagge issued the bench warrant for the arrest of the council boss over his failure to appear before the court despite receiving court summon and complaints by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission over criminal breach of trust and making a false statement.

At the commencement of sitting on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Barrister Salisu Tahir, told the court that on May 9, the defendant (Chairman of Kumbotso Local government of Kano), was entrusted with the 1,632 forms for the distribution of palliatives materials but dishonestly diverted some part of the forms to persons that were not eligible to benefit from the palliative items.

Tahir said that the offence contravenes section 315 of the penal code law and section 26 of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Law 2008 (As amended) and prayed the court to issue a bench warrant against the defendant since he was properly served a court summons to appear today (Wednesday).

The Defense Counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Adamu, told the court that he does not know why the defendant was not in court explaining further that one of his aides earlier called him that they were on their way.

Adamu prayed the court to stood down for 30 minutes to enable the defendant to attend the court to answer his plea.

The Presiding Magistrate, Musa Ibrahim Fagge, however, overruled the prayer and adjourned the case till May 27th, 2020.

Recall that the Kano state government as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease ordered a total lockdown in the state and as a result of that rolled out the palliative material distribution to the downtrodden to cushion the effects of lockdown.