Kano files fresh fraud charges against Ganduje

The Kano State Government has filed fresh charges against the immediate past Governor of the state and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje before a Kano State High Court with Case No. K/143c/24.

According to the charge sheet sighted by The Punch, Ganduje and his former Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan are 1st and 2nd Defendants, respectively.

They are being accused among others of Criminal Conspiracy, contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97, Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315, Criminal Misappropriation contrary to Section 308 and punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code (as amended) CAP 105, Vol. 2, the Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.

The duo are standing trial for; “dishonestly, fraudulently and without reasonable justification, in the abuse of your respective officers, conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two Hundred and Forty million naira to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourselves and wrongful loss to the Government and people of Kano State.”

The charge sheet further reads: “The prosecution intended to present 4 witnesses and will at the trial of the Defendants adduce evidence to show that the 1st Defendant in betrayal of his official trust, taking 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 is 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 allegation against the 1st Defendant in purely private and personal matter.”

However, no date has been fixed for the commencement of the trial.