Court orders arrest of Ganduje’s ex- commissioner, former MD KSIP

By Muhammed Yakubu On Mar 17, 2025

Abdullahi Ganduje, APC, Hafsat, Kano, Misappropriation, — APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje

A Kano State High Court has issued a bench warrant against a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr M. A Lawal over failure to appear before it.

The matter which bothered four count charges of criminal misappropriation of funds and Criminal Breach of Trust among others has APC National Chairman and former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the first defendant and Barr. M.A. Lawal is the second defendant in the suit, while the State Government is prosecuting the case.

At the sitting of the court on Monday, the matter was slated for the arraignment of the defendants.

According to the court, the first defendant, Abdullahi Ganduje was not served despite the order of a court to paste same at the gate of his House No 3 Miyangu Road.

Also, the court was informed that the second defendant was served through substituted means but was not in court.

The second defendant Counsel led by Chief M.N. Duru (SAN) said they have already filed a preliminary objection to the charges.

The prosecutor, Barr. Zaharadeen Kofar Mata said he has not been served the preliminary objection.

He then sought an adjournment to another date to enable them to serve the 1st defendant with a copy of the charge.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu then issued a bench warrant against the 2nd Defendant for not attending the court despite being served with a copy of the charge the matter was then adjourned to 6 May for arraignment.

The first head of charge read:

That you, DR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE male, adult together with you MUSA ABDULLAHI LAWAN male, adult, between the periods of November, 2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and fourty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria.

SECOND HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, DR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE male, adult together with you MUSA ABDULLAHI LAWAN male, adult, between the periods of November,2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and fourty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 315 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

THIRD HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, DR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE male, adult together with you MUSA ABDULLAHI LAWAN male, adult, between the periods of November,2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and fourty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of criminal misappropriation contrary to section 308 and punishable under section 309 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria.

FOURTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, DR ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE male, adult together with you MUSA ABDULLAHI LAWAN male, adult, between the periods of November,2022 or thereabout, in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division in your capacity as a public servants, to wit, the Governor and the Attorney General/Commissioner For Justice of Kano, in the service of Kano State government and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of public funds of Kano state, fraudulently and dishonestly without reasonable justification in abuse of your respective offices conspired between yourselves, misappropriated, diverted and converted the sum of Two hundred and fourty million Naira (N240,000,000) to finance purely personal and private case for your own personal and private benefit thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and wrongful loss to the Government and People of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Making false statement or return contrary to and punishable under section 26 of The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended).

Meanwhile, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu in another matter between Kano State Government versus Jibrilla Muhammad and 1 other was also adjourned to 29^th April 2025.

When the matter came up for arraignment on Monday, Justice Aliyu similarly issued a bench warrant against Jibrilla Muhammad over his failure to appear in court despite evidence of service of charges on him, while the 2nd Defendant Daide Sheshe was not served with the charge.

SolaceBase reports that Jibrilla Muhammad was the managing director, Kano State Investment And Properties Limited, while Daide Sheshe was the General Manager, Property.

The duo are standing trial on 3 counts charge bothering on criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.

FIRST HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Dr. Jibrilla Muhammad and Dauda D. Sheshe between the period of July to September 2023 in Kano within the jurisdiction of this court, agreed to do or caused to be done an illegal act, to wit, being public servants in the employment of Kano State Government, dishonestly misappropriated and/or converted to your own use the sum of N212, 381,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand Naira only, being monies credited to your personal account meant for the repairs of buses and purchase of textile materials, thereby causing wrongful loss to the People and Government of Kano State and thereby committed the offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2., The Laws of The Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

SECOND HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, Dr. Jibrilla Muhammad and Dauda D. Sheshe, male, adult, between the periods of July to September in Kano, in the Kano Judicial Division while serving in your capacity as public servants, to wit, Managing Director and General Manager Property, respectively, of Kano State Investment And Properties Limited, you were entrusted with the sum of, or dominion over the sum of , N212, 381,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand Naira only, being monies appropriated for the repairs of buses and purchase of textile materials, and you dishonestly misappropriated and/or converted to your own use the said sum, by transferring it into the personal account of the 2nd Defendant on the instruction of the 1st Defendant thereby causing wrongful loss to the People and Government of Kano State and thereby committed an offence of Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 315 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2., The Laws of The Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

THIRD HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, Dr. Jibrilla Muhammad and Dauda D. Sheshe, male, adult, between the periods of August and September 2023 in Kano in the Kano Judicial Division while serving in your capacity as public servants, to wit, Managing Director and General Manager Property, respectively, of Kano State Investment And Properties Limited, and being charged with the receipt, custody and management of the sum of N212 381,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Three Hundred and Eighty One Thousand Naira only, being monies appropriated for the repairs of buses and printing of textile materials, you dishonestly misappropriated and/or converted to your own use the said sum, by transferring it into the personal account of the 2nd Defendant on the instruction of the 1st Defendant and at the same time made a false statement to cover the transaction, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Law 2008 (as amended).