The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Ganduje, and six others are to be arraigned before a Kano High Court presided over by Justice Usman Malam Na’aba on April 17, 2024.
The other respondents in the case filed by the state government are Abubakar Baru, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited
A court summon sighted by the media in Kano indicated that the respondents will be arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on the allegations of dollar bribery, diversion and misappropriation of public funds that include alleged $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery, among others.
One of the charges on the sheet read that,” Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of January 10, 2016 or thereabout, 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 himself from one of the beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the Kano State Government on his instruction and approval as part of his function as the Governor of Kano State.
The sheet stated that the action was an act 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 No2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.
The sheet further stated, “That you, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of February 10, 2017 or there about, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor of Kano State and being a public servant of the government of Kano State Respondents agreed to do or caused to be done an illegal act, to wit, 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).”
The sheet held that the former governor 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.
The Chief of Staff to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Mohammed Garba could not be reached as he was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj while the Chief Press Secretary to the National Chairman, Eddy Olofu did not pick up the calls put across to him by Daily Sun
An official of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), who was not authorised to speak, told newsmwn that a Federal High Court had recently delivered judgement affirming that only the EFCC and a Federal High Court can prosecute the dollar bribery allegation case.
He observed that what the state government had smartly done was to adjust and then refile the same dollar bribery allegation case before the state High Court despite the fact that a judgement had been delivered on who could hear the case.
