The arraignment of the state’s most recent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, together with his wife, son, and five other individuals, is scheduled for April 17, 2024, by a Kano State High Court. They are being charged with bribery.
Ganduje and the others will be charged with eight charges, including bribery with a value of $413,000, diversion, and theft of funds totaling N1.38 billion.
The Kano Public Compliance and Anti-Corruption Commission was denied the authority to look into Ganduje about a purported $5 million bribery video, according to a ruling made by the Federal High Court in Kano.
In rendering his decision, Justice Abdullahi Liman stated that the offence was a federal one that may be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Attorney General of the Federation.
According to Justice Liman, the Kano anti-graft agency was not able to look into the former governor.
However, state governor Abba Yusuf urged the EFCC to make public the findings of its investigation on the purported video of dollar bribery involving Ganduje on Monday.
In a statement sent by his spokesperson, Sanusi Tofa, Yusuf stated that Ganduje ought to be ready for his trial rather than speculating about alleged shortcomings in the current government.
“The acting national chairman of the APC, for whatever reason, is advised by the Kano State Government to explain why his name, his family’s name, and the entire Kano people should be permanently removed from the worldwide shame caused by the dollar video,” he stated.
However, the Kano State Government named Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lesage General Enterprises as respondents in a criminal suit. The writ of summons was seen by The Bureau Newspaper Online on Tuesday. The government also gathered 15 witnesses to appear before the court.
The state High Court Number Four’s Justice Usman Na’aba will hear the case on April 17, 2024.
State Attorney General Haruna Dederi confirmed the development to journalists, stating that the case has been filed and that all parties involved will be served appropriately.
“That is absolutely accurate. Although I am unable to verify if he has been served or not, we have filed the lawsuit, and he will undoubtedly be served. The awful day is something you cannot escape, as Ganduje fails to realise. You will undoubtedly experience it, and this will even discourage the rest of us.
He claimed that we couldn’t pursue him, obliging us to remember that the offence is likewise classified as a state offence. He clarified that it’s not solely a government issue.