Kano govt charges Ganduje, wife with $413,000, N1.38bn bribery

The Kano State Government has filed criminal charges against the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, over alleged $413,000, N1.38bn bribery.

The state said it had assembled 15 witnesses to testify against Ganduje.

Joined as co-defendants in the charge sheet dated April 3, 2024, sighted by our correspondent on Thursday, were Ganduje’s wife Hafsat, and his son, Umar.

Also listed as defendants were Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd,  Safari Textiles Ltd and Lesage General Enterprises.

Governor Abba Yusuf had on 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).”