The Kano State government has lodged fresh fraud charges against former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his former commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, and two others.
According to the charge sheet, Garo, Lamin Sani, and Muhammad Takai face accusations of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, making false statements, and criminal misappropriation. The state alleges that the accused mismanaged the statutory allocations of all 44 local governments in Kano, which were remitted to the state’s joint local government account from the Federation Account.
Furthermore, the government claims that ₦57.4 billion was criminally diverted through various personal accounts belonging to local government cashiers, as well as other personal and corporate accounts. These funds were allegedly converted into dollars for the personal benefit of the accused.
The charge sheet also alleges that the accused used the misappropriated funds to acquire a luxury service apartment on Murtala Muhammad Way in Kano, a commercial apartment at Akoya Oxygen in Dubai (identified as x20868 in Tigerwood), and a property on the 22nd floor of Damac Heights in the Marsa Dubai Marina. Additionally, the state claims the funds were used to purchase a multi-billion naira hotel in Jabi, Abuja, as well as filling stations along Gwarzo Road and the Eastern Bypass in Kano.
The Kano State government has indicated that it will call 143 witnesses to testify in the case. However, no date has been set for the trial.
In a related development, on April 4, the Kano government filed a separate suit against Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six others at the Kano High Court. The other defendants in that case include Ganduje’s son, Umar Abdullahi Umar, along with Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd., Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage.
