A fresh controversy has trailed the Corporate Affairs Commission following the appointment of an interim manager for the Al-Manar Education and Development Foundation in Kaduna State.
Court documents before the Federal High Court indicate that the CAC, acting through its Registrar-General, Ishaq Hussaini Magaji, SAN, issued a letter dated September 10, 2025, suspending the board of trustees of the faith-based organisation and appointing an interim management team.
According to the filings, the trustees contend that they were removed without prior notice or a hearing and that their tenure had not expired at the time of the action. They argue that the decision violated the principles of fair hearing and due process.
One of the appointees, Dr Nazifi Yunus, has since become the subject of public debate. Records and media reports from 2013 and 2014 show that he was, at the time, questioned and prosecuted by security agencies over alleged links to insurgent groups, allegations he denied. No public record of a conviction or formal court exoneration has been cited in the current proceedings.
Security and legal analysts, while stressing the presumption of innocence, say the history has raised concerns about perception and risk assessment in sensitive appointments involving religious and charitable institutions.
“There is a difference between allegation and proof, but regulators are also expected to apply caution where reputational and security issues may arise,” a lawyer following the case said.
The court documents also allege that the CAC wrote to some banks requesting changes to the foundation’s account signatories following the suspension of the trustees. Legal practitioners note that such steps, if taken without a court order, could raise questions about the limits of a regulator’s supervisory powers. These claims, however, remain untested in court.
The trustees further claim that the appointment process was carried out without consultation with the organisation’s leadership or wider community, a move they say undermines the autonomy of incorporated religious bodies.
In addition, the filings raise issues of possible conflict of interest, alleging personal links between the interim manager and senior officials of the commission. While no wrongdoing has been established, governance experts say public institutions are expected to avoid situations that could give rise to perceptions of bias.
The CAC has yet to issue a detailed public response to the specific allegations contained in the suit. However, sources at the commission say it acted within its statutory powers and in what it considered the best interest of regulatory compliance.
Legal observers emphasise that the matter is now before the court and that all parties are entitled to the presumption of innocence until the issues are fully determined.
As proceedings continue, analysts say the case is likely to test the scope of the CAC’s authority over incorporated trustees and the safeguards meant to ensure transparency, accountability and adherence to due process.
