Buildings sealed off by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday in Kano have no relationship with the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Jafaru Mohammed, a lawyer has said.

The lawyer, Sagir Gezawa, said his client, Tanimu Inusa, is the rightful owner of the property and there was no court order okaying the sealing off of the affected properties.

Operatives of the anti-graft agency had sealed off 21 properties in Kano on Tuesday as part of investigation into a corruption case involving Mr Mohammed, a brigadier-general.

The lawyer said Mr Inusa was interrogated by the EFCC as part of the investigation of the case due to business transactions traced to a company linked to Mr Mohammed, Atlasfield Ltd.

He, however, said there was no established direct link between the two men even as some of the properties now sealed were acquired long before the transactions between the two companies.

“Alhaji Inusa is a businessman who earlier engaged in the business of commodity and general provisions at the famous Singer Market in Kano before he ventured into property development business which he formalized by registering Tasaf General Merchandise Ltd in January 2009,” he said.

The lawyer said EFCC operatives had variously questioned Mr Inusa about Atlasfield Integrated Limited and his relationship with the company.

“Alhaji Tanimu informed officers of the EFCC about his relationship with one General Aminu Kano Maude who is now late whom he met about four years ago as a result of certain properties he purchased from him or through him as an agent,” Mr Gezawa said.

He said aside Mr Maude, Mr Inusa was not involved with any other person in the name of the troubled company.

The lawyer however said he and the businessman were surprised about sealing off of the property “even while investigation was still on”.

“Courts are on vacation and there was never a time these properties are a subject of court case but to our surprise they just started marking off these places.

“Funny enough a number of these properties no longer belong to the man because, as usual with his business, he has sold them off. Some of them, including his own homes and office, were properties he acquired many years ago,” Mr Gezawa said.