The Kano State High Court sitting in Kano, the state capital has fixed April 17 for the arraignment of former Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, Umar Abdullahi Umar and five others over the allegations of bribery and diversion of public funds.
The Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf-led Kano State Government dragged Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat and six others to court on eight count charges relating to bribery allegations, misappropriation and diversion of funds among others running into billions of naira.
The allegations were contained in a charge sheet dated 3rd April, 2024 with a 15 prosecution witnesses list attached and obtained by newsmen.
The listed defendants are: Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
One of the counts said that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of January 10, 2016 or there about, 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 document said such action amounted to 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 count document reads further: “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 ni 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 document further stated 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 No2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.