Ex-Kano governor, Ganduje to be arraigned for alleged bribery, diversion

The Kano High Court is set to arraign the immediate past governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, on April 17, 2024, over allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds.

The charges include the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38 billion in bribes.

Confirmation of this development came from the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, who disclosed that Ganduje would face charges alongside his wife and six others.

The accused individuals, listed in the writ of summon, comprise Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.

The Kano State Government, the initiator of the criminal suit against the eight respondents, has expressed preparedness to present 15 witnesses before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.

Dederi emphasised the importance of accountability in governance, stating, “What he (Ganduje) doesn’t understand is that you cannot run away from the evil day, it will definitely come to you, and this will even serve as a deterrence to all of us that are also in government now”.

Regarding the jurisdictional aspect of the case, Dederi clarified, “He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences.”

He added, “It’s not a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman’s ruling on that.”