Kano Government Files New Charges Against Former Governor Ganduje And Associates

The Kano State Government has filed fresh legal charges against former Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, along with his former Commissioner for Local Government, Murtala Garo, and two other individuals.

The charges, which were detailed in court documents, accuse Garo, Lamin Sani, and Muhammad Takai of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, making false statements, and misappropriation of funds.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the defendants are alleged to have mismanaged the statutory allocations meant for the 44 local governments in Kano State. These funds, which were deposited into the State Joint Local Governments account from the Federation Account, were allegedly diverted by the accused.

The charges further claim that the defendants funneled ₦57.4 billion through the personal accounts of local government cashiers and other individual and corporate accounts. It is alleged that they then converted the funds into dollars for personal use.

The state government contends that the accused used the misappropriated funds to acquire various properties, including a service apartment on Murtala Muhammad Way, a commercial property at Akoya Oxygen in Dubai, and a plot at Damac Heights, Marsa Dubai Marina. Additionally, the allegations include the purchase of a multi-billion-naira hotel in Jabi, Abuja.

The Kano State Government has announced its intention to call 143 witnesses during the trial. However, a court date has not yet been set.

This development follows earlier charges filed by the state government on April 4 against Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six others in the Kano High Court. The additional defendants include Ganduje’s son, Umar Abdullahi Umar, and several business entities, such as Lamash Properties Ltd., Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises.