Kano Gov files criminal charges against predecessor Ganduje for alleged bribery, N5.6bn state treasury loot

The Kano government has filed criminal charges against the All Progressives Congress APC chairman and immediate past Governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his wife.

Governor Abba Yusuf’s government slammed his predecessor with eight charges for $413,000 babanriga cash bribe, N5.6 billion state treasury loot and accused of taking bribes from public works contractors which amounts to almost half a million dollars.

Yusuf upon assuming office in May 2023, stripped immunity away from his predecessor, Ganduje, leaving him defenseless to corruption charges with 15 witnesses willing to testify against him at the Kano High Court.

Recall that a video surfaced in 2018, where Ganduje hid bundles of dollars in his babanriga as he showed off a huge smile on his face.

The video, shared on social media by Daily Nigerian in 2018 but with a 2017 timestamp, made the rounds with many expressing their disgust at his action.

However, Ganduje denied being in the video, saying it was “fake.”

Governor Abba Yusuf uppon assumption of office accused Ganduje of misappropriating public funds and allocating plots of land to some members of his immediate family.

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, 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 Kano State Government contact and or project for the remodeling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors (agent).”

In another count, state alleged that Ganduje, between September 2020 and march 2021, “together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a businessman, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, wholly owned and maintained by the 3rd defendant, agreed to do an illegal act to wit: dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,376,000,000 through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd defendant being money earmarked and approved for the purchase and supply of face masks and other hospital equipment for the health sector, thereby causing wrongful loss to the people and the government of Kano State and thereby jointly committed the offence of criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 96 and punishable under section 97 of The penal code (as amended) CAP,105, Vol.2. The Laws of Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.”

The Kano State’s Attorney General, Muhuyi Magaji, said he was led by Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution and Sections 121(1), 126(b) and 377 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2019, “to apply to prefer the charge attached herewith against the defendants.”

Governor Yusuf has been reported to have set up two committees to probe the government of Ganduje, over alleged misappropriation of public property, political violence and missing persons in the state.

In a statement signed by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Sanusi Tofa, the governor vowed to bring to justice any official found culpable.