IGP withdraws policemen from Kano anti-graft agency over investigating alleged multi-billion naira corruption cases against Ganduje

Policemen deployed to Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission for security and investigation support have been withdrawn by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

Sources familiar with the withdrawal of the law enforcement agency told SolaceBase on Thursday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman was allegedly instrumental to the directive following investigations of multi-billion naira corruption against him

According to sources, the IGP directive was carried out on Thursday with instruction issued to the Kano Police Commissioner, Usaini Gumel.

It was gathered that the policemen attached to the commission are assisting the commission in the investigations of corruption cases and giving security to the commission’s headquarters.

Although there was no official message to the commission on the withdrawal of the policemen.

But rather a text message from the command sent to the Policemen read: “Order and Directives to all officers and men of the Nigeria police force attached to public complaint and Anti-corruption commission Kano State are warned directed to report back to Command headquarters with immediate effect those with high profile cases to hand over such to Head of Operations immediately all to acknowledge please.”

A very reliable source said the former Kano State Governor and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje had told people close to him severally and boasted that nothing will happen to him so long as they own the federal government.

‘’All those investigations in Kano are just futile efforts as nothing will happen to me so long as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the president and I remain the national chairman, the source quoted Ganduje.”

Efforts to speak with the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi was not successful as his phone line was not connecting.

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SolaceBase had reported that Kano State Government dragged former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, Umar Abdullahi Umar, and five others to court on eight count charges relating to bribery allegations, misappropriation and diversion of funds among others running into billions of naira.

Other respondents in the suit are Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd,  Safari Textiles Ltd and Lesage General Enterprises

The eight-count charge includes bribery allegation, diversion and misappropriation of funds among others running into billions of naira.

The charges are stated below:

FIRST HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje sometime between the period of January 10th 2016 or thereabout, at Kano in 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

(Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) being a benefit for yourself from one of the beneficiaries of contracts awarded Kano State Government on your instruction and approval as part of your function as the Governor of Kano State 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 No 2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria

SECOND HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period of February 10″ 2017 or thereabout, 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 agreed to do or caused to be done an illegal act, to wit,

dishonestly and/or corruptly to your own advantage collected a kickback of the sum of $ 213,000 (Two Hundred And Thirteen Thousand United States dollars) being money generated from people and entities seeking or holing the execution of Kano State Government contact and or project for the remodelling of the Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors (agent) thereby

committing 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.

THIRD HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period of September 2020 and March 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Businessman, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, wholly owned

and maintained the 3rd Defendant, agreed to do an illegal act to wit: dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,376,000,000.00 (One Billion Three Hundred and seventy-six million Naira)

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through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd Defendant being monies earmarked and approved for the purchase and supply of face marks and other hospitals equipment for the health sector, thereby causing wrongful loss to the people and government of Kano State and thereby jointly 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 Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

FOURTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Sometime between the period of September 2020 and January 2022 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Businessman, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, while entrusted

with the sum of N1,376,000,000.00 (One Billion Three Hundred and seventy-Six million Naira) or dominion over the said sum, earmarked for the purchase and supply of face masks and other hospital equipment honestly misappropriated and/or converted the said sum to your own use through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3d defendant, thereby jointly committed the offence of Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 312 of The penal code (as amended) CAP,105, Vol.2.

The Laws of Kano State of Nigeria, 1991

FIFTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period march of 2021 or there about, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the 4th defendant (Umar Abdullahi Umar) being your biological son using 6 defendants (Lamash Properties Ltd)

a company owned and or operated by members of your family including the 4h defendant and dishonestly allocated 501 (five hundred and one) high-density plots of lands you hold in trust for the benefit all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPDI256B in the name of 6 defendant company under the pretext of site and services arrangement in the land compulsory acquired by you being the Governor of Kano State from destitute members

of the public (peasant farmers) were it was sold and the proceed part of which the sum of N700,000,000.00 (Seven Hundred Million Naira) was deposited in the account of Bureau de change operator vision Steel link Ltd No. Domicile at Access Bank where dollar equivalent was given to the 4h defendant to the detriment of the people and government of Kano State thereby jointly 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 Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

SIXTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period march of 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the 4th defendant Umar Abdullahi Umar, being your biological son using 6 defendants Lamash Properties Ltd a company

substantially owned and or operated by members of your family including the 4th defendant and dishonestly allocated 501 (five hundred and one) high-density plots of lands you hold in trust for the benefit of all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPDA256B in the name of 6h defendant company under the pretext of site and services arrangement in the land compulsory acquired by you as a governor of Kano state from destitute members of the public (peasant farmers) which was sold and the proceeds, the sum of #700,000,000.00 (Seven Hundred Million Naira) was deposited in the account of

Bureau de change operator vision Steel link Ltd No. 7816362026 Domicile at FCMB where dollar equivalent was given to the 4h defendant thereby agreed to do or caused to be done an illegal act, to wit, dishonestly and/or corruptly to your own advantage collected a kickback of the sum of $ 213,000 (Two Hundred And

Thirteen Thousand United States dollars) being money generated from people and entities seeking or holing the execution of Kano State Government contact and or project for the remodelling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors (agent) thereby committing 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.

SEVENTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period of September 2020 and March 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the Sth” defendant Jibrilla Muhammad also a public servant in the government of Kano State

served as the managing director of Kano State Investment and Properties Ltd using the 8 defendant Lesage General Enterprise Ltd a company wholly owned and or maintain by your immediate family to convert the Kano state government property known as Kano cotton ginnery located at Challawa area of Kano State that was initially valued at #750,000,000.00 (seven hundred million Naira) purportedly at

the discounted rate of three hundred and twenty million Naira) the amount which payment was not evident causing wrongful loss to the people and government of Kano State thereby jointly 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 Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

EIGHT HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometime between the period of September 2020 and March 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the Sthd defendant Jibrilla Muhammad also a public servant in the government of Kano State

served as the managing director of Kano State Investment and Properties Ltd using the 8 defendant Lesage General Enterprise Ltd a company wholly owned and or maintain by your immediate family to convert the Kano state government property known as Kano cotton ginnery located at the Challawa

area of Kano State was initially valued at #750,000,000.00 (seven hundred million Naira) purportedly at the discounted rate of three hundred and twenty million Naira) the amount which payment was not actually made and documented thereby causing wrongful loss to the people and government of

Kano State thereby committed the offence of criminal breach of trust contrary to section 311 read together with section 79, and punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code( as amended), CAP, 105, Vol.2 .The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria 1991.

However, when the matter came up before Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, only the 6th respondent through his counsel, Nureini Jimoh (SAN), was present in court while the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th respondents were conspicuously absent.

Counsel to the Kano State government, Bar. Ya’u A. Adamu told the court that they could not serve the respondents personally.

Adamu, however, attempted to move an exparte motion application seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means but counsel to the 6th respondent, Bar. Nureini Jimoh SAN objected to it.

Jimoh told the prosecution to do their homework, noting that there is no provision for service on criminal charges by exparte motion vowing to challenge such a move at the Court of Appeal.

The Presiding judge, Justice Na’abba, however, adjourned the matter till 29th April 2024 for ruling on substituted service on the respondents.