Kano State government files criminal charges against former governor Abdullahi Ganduje

KANO State government has filed criminal charges against the immediate past governor Dr Abdullahi Ganduje over alleged $413,000, N1.38bn bribery case in which his wife and son are named as co-defendants.

In what looks like it will be a high profile case, the Kano State government has assembled 15 witnesses to testify against Dr Ganduje. In the charge sheet dated April 3, 2024, Hafsat Ganduje, the former governor's wife  and his son, Umar, were also named, along with other defendants named as Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties,  Safari Textiles and Lesage General Enterprises.

Upon assuming office in May last year, Governor Abba Yusuf had accused his predecessor Dr Ganduje of misappropriating public funds and allocating plots of land to some members of his immediate family. These allegations against Dr Ganduje, who is now the chairman of Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress,  have now been brought forward as formal charges in a court of law.

One of the charges read: “That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, sometime between the period of January 10, 2016 or thereabouts, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the governor of Kano State and being a public servant in the government of Kano State corruptly asked for and received the sum of $200,000  being benefit for yourself from one of the beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the Kano State government on your instruction and approval as part of your function as the governor of Kano State, thereby committed the offence of official corruption, contrary to and punishable under Section 22 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended), Law No 2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.”

In the second count, the state government said Dr Ganduje, on February 10, 2017 dishonestly and/or corruptly to your own advantage collected a kick-back of the sum of $213,000  being money generated from people and entities seeking or holding the execution of a Kano State government contact and or project for the remodelling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors.

Governor Yusuf also set up two committees to probe the government of Dr Ganduje, over the alleged misappropriation of public property, political violence and missing persons in the state. While inaugurating members of the committees, the governor vowed to bring to book anyone found wanting on conclusion of the probe.

These panels are to unravel those behind or involved in the misappropriation of public properties and political violence between 2015 and 2023. Governor Yusuf has vowed to recover all public property allegedly stolen by the administration of his predecessor.

While Justice Zuwaira Yusuf was named as the chair of the commission with the responsibility of unravelling players and causes of political violence as well as missing persons, Justice Faruk Lawan heads the commission saddled with the responsibility of probing misappropriation of public properties and assets during the years under review. Governor Yusuf said the move was neither political nor a witch-hunt and charged the commissions not to compromise but to remain faithful to their oath and the people of Kano by ensuring justice for the state.