The Kano state government has filed a 10-count charge
against Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor, over the alleged diversion of
its equity stake in the Dala Inland Dry Port.
The state government filed the charges on Thursday at the
high court in Kano.
Other defendants in the case are Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro,
former special adviser to Ganduje; Hassan Bello, former executive secretary of
the Nigerian Shippers Council; Adamu Aliyu Sanda, a legal practitioner; Umar
Abdullahi Umar and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar, the two sons of Ganduje.
Recently, the Kano state Public Complaints and
Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) announced that it had launched an
investigation into the alleged diversion of more than N4 billion of state funds
into the Dala Inland Dry Port.
The probe centres on claims that contracts worth billions of
naira for infrastructure were awarded at the port when Ganduje was governor of
Kano, shortly after the state’s 20 percent equity was converted to the former
governor’s family in 2020.
The transaction was said to have edged Kano state out of
ownership of the facility and allegedly installed Ganduje’s children as
directors and shareholders of the multi-billion-naira investment.
But the management of the port had denied the claim that
Ganduje’s family members are among the shareholders.
THE CHARGES
In the copy of the charge sheet seen by TheCable, the Kano
government alleged that Ganduje and his sons, Bello, Sanda, and Bawuro,
allegedly conspired to “fraudulently facilitate and execute a collusive
agreement for the transfer of 80% shares of Dala Inland Dry Port Limited at
Zawachiki, Kumbotso Local Government Area, including the 20% equity belonging
to the Kano State Government, under the fictitious entity referred to as City
Green Enterprise, thereby concealing and misrepresenting the true ownership in
the transaction and unlawfully converting the Kano State’s 20% equity shares to
yourselves”.
The Kano government also alleged that Ganduje committed
fraud and conferred undue advantage to himself and family by misappropriating
N4,492,387,013.76 and “diverted same to build and provide a double carriageway,
electricity and perimeter fence for your business interest at Dala Inland Dry
Port, knowing fully well that it will and thereby causing great financial loss
to the Government and people of Kano State.”
The government said the alleged offences contravened the
Kano Penal Code and other laws of the state.
PREVIOUS CHARGES
Last year, the Kano government filed an 11-count charge
bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public
funds running into billions of naira against Ganduje; Hafsat, his wife; Umar
Abdullahi Umar, his son; and five others.
Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro,
Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and
Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
In May 2025, Amina Adamu-Aliyu, judge of the Kano state high
court, dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the defendants to challenge
the court’s jurisdiction, describing it as “incompetent”.
Recently, the court of appeal struck out the appeal
challenging the jurisdiction of the state high court to hear the corruption
case.
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