The Kano High Court is set to arraign Kano State’s immediate previous governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on April 17, 2024, on charges of bribery, diversion, and theft of money, including the alleged acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38 billion in bribes.
Haruna Dederi, Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, confirmed the situation, saying Ganduje would be charged with his wife and six others.
The accused individuals named in the summons are 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, which initiated the criminal suit against the eight respondents, has declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.
“It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served,” he said.
Dederi further highlighted the significance of accountability in governance, remarking, “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.”
The commissioner also addressed the jurisdictional aspect of the case, asserting,
“He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences,” he said.
“It’s not totally a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that.”