Kano anti-graft agency is vested with investigative power- Court

By Muhammed Yakubu On Mar 5, 2024

A Federal High Court, sitting in Kano on Tuesday ruled that the Kano State Public Compliant and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, is vested with power to investigate corruption-related issues which can be initiated by it, petitions or otherwise.

Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, gave the ruling in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abdullahi Ganduje, former Kano State Governor against the commission.

SOLACEBASE had reported that Abdullahi Ganduje dragged the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to court to restrain PCACC from arresting, investigating and inviting him over the alleged dollar video.

It could be recalled that in 2023 the state anti-corruption commission said that forensic analysis had confirmed that the videos of Ganduje stuffing dollar bales into his attire were not doctored.

The video clips were first published by Daily Nigerian and they trended on social media in 2017.

They showed Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollar notes and stuffing them inside his “babanriga.”

Ganduje had debunked the content of the videos, claiming the videos were doctored.

Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Liman ruled that the dollar video offence was federal in nature and should be investigated and prosecuted by a federal agency.

He, however, ruled that sections 8,9(1) and 15 of the Kano State Public Compliant and Anti-Corruption Commission law (2008) as amended vested the power to investigate corruption-related offences in it.

He emphasised that no court has the power to stop or prevent the investigation of a constituted authority vested with such power from investigating anybody.

Hence the commission’s rights to investigate is still very intact, but on state offences.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the judgment, counsel to the anti-graft agency, Usman Umar-Fari, said they would appeal the matter at the appellate court.

On his part, Counsel for Ganduje, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), said the court interpreted the law as it is, adding that the judgement of the court vindicated his position that the commission cannot investigate his client on federal legislation.