Kano State Government has instituted a fresh legal battle against the immediate past Governor of Kano State and national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje over the controversial dollar bribery.
Ganduje, along with his wife, Dr. Hafsat Umar Ganduje, and six others have been dragged before the Kano State High Court on eight count charges bordering on dollar bribery allegation, misappropriations, and diversion of funds running into billions of naira.
The fresh legal battle comes less than 24 hours after the state government constituted two panels of inquiry. One to investigate the misappropriation of public properties and assets by Ganduje’s administration and the other will investigate political violence and missing persons, still under the immediate past administration.
In the process filed by Barr. AY Adamu and three others on 3 April 2024, on behalf of the Kano State government, the government also assembled 15 prosecution witnesses and their statements against Ganduje and seven others.
One of the counts alleged that Ganduje in 2016 corruptly asked for, and received the sum of $ 200,000 from a contractor being a kickback on public contract.
By the act, Ganduje is accused of having ommitted an 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 N02 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.
In another count, Ganduje is also accused of collecting the sum of $ 213,000, being money generated from people and entities seeking or holding the execution of Kano State Government contact for the remodeling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors in 2017.
Also charge against Ganduje’s wife, Dr. Hafsat and one Abubakar Bawuro, a business man, Safari Textile Ltd converted a sum of One Billion Three Hundred and seventy Six million Naira through account No. 7085982019 being monies earmarked and approved for the purchase and supply of face marks and other hospital equipment for the health sector.
By this act, Kano state government accused Ganduje’s wife of causing wrongful loss to the people and 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 defendant also accused Ganduje of using his son (Umar Abdullahi Umar), and a private company Lamash Properties Ltd, owned by members of his family to allocate 501 high density plots of lands at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPD/256B to himself under the pretext.
The property was allegedly sold and the proceed part of which the sum of (Seven Hundred Million Naira) was deposited in the account of Bureau de change operator vision Steel link Ltd No. Domicile at Access Bank where dollar equivalent was recieved by Ganduje.
The APC chairman was alleged to have committed an offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary under 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.
