The Kano State Government has initiated new fraud charges against Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the former Governor of Kano State and the current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The charges have been filed in the Kano State High Court under Case No. K/143c/24.
The charge sheet, obtained by The Punch, lists Ganduje and his former Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan, as the 1st and 2nd Defendants, respectively. The charges include Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Breach of Trust, and Criminal Misappropriation, as specified under various sections of the Penal Code (as amended) CAP 105, Vol. 2, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.
The allegations state that both Ganduje and Lawan “dishonestly, fraudulently and without reasonable justification, in the abuse of your respective offices, conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted, and converted the sum of Two Hundred and Forty Million Naira to finance purely personal and private matters for your own personal and private benefit, thereby causing wrongful gain to yourselves and wrongful loss to the Government and people of Kano State.”
Further details from the charge sheet indicate that the prosecution plans to call four witnesses. The evidence will purportedly show that Ganduje, exploiting his position as Governor, approved the release of 240 million Naira. This money, ostensibly meant for civil litigation involving state staff accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was allegedly diverted to prevent the EFCC from investigating bribery and corruption allegations against Ganduje in a private matter.
The charge sheet states, “The prosecution intends to present four witnesses and will at the trial of the Defendants adduce evidence to show that the 1st Defendant, in betrayal of his official trust, took advantage of his privileged position as the Governor and Chief Executive Officer of Kano State. That between the period of November 2022 or thereabout, conspired with his subordinate, the 2nd Defendant, who in blatant display of abuse of office, initiated a memo to the 1st Defendant to approve the release of Two Hundred and Forty Million Naira for the purpose of civil litigation in respect of the staff of Kano State who were being accused by the EFCC, which in reality the funds were converted to secure order against the EFCC not to investigate bribery and corruption allegations against the 1st Defendant in a purely private and personal matter.”
