EXCLUSIVE: ‘DSS Officer…Personal Aides’ — How Kano Plans To Nail Ganduje, Wife, Son In $413,000, N1.4bn Alleged Fraud Case

Exclusive court documents obtained by THE WHISTLER have revealed the Kano State Government’s plan to rely on 15 witnesses to nail former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, their son Umar Abdullahi Umar, and four others in a corruption case.

The eight-count charges allege a web of corrupt activities. The first charge alleges that Ganduje, while serving as governor between 2015 and 2023, corruptly asked for and received $200,000 from a beneficiary of a state government contract. The second charge accused him of receiving a $213,000 kickback from a contractor handling the remodelling of the Kantin Kwari textile market in Kano.

In the third and fourth charges, Ganduje and others were accused of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust involving N1.376bn earmarked for the purchase of face masks and other medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, and businessman Abubakar Bawuro allegedly diverted the funds for their personal use.

Ganduje, alongside his son Abdullahi Umar, was further accused in the fifth and sixth charges of conspiring to illegally allocate 501 plots of land belonging to the state government to a company owned by their family. The proceeds from the sale of these lands, amounting to 700 million Naira, were allegedly diverted for their benefit.

Among the witnesses the Kano State Government plans to put forward is a forensic expert who will authenticate a viral video allegedly showing Ganduje collecting bribes from a contractor while he was governor of the state.

Also, multiple contractors will testify how they were allegedly forced to give Ganduje a percentage of contract funds awarded to them by the former governor’s administration.

A Department of State Services (DSS) officer, Hussain Muhammad Dan Borno, will explain his presence in the alleged bribery video showing Ganduje collecting stacks of dollars from a supposed contractor.

Others include a police inspector, Muhammad Nuhu, who will present the findings of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation and an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdullahi Mamman, who will present evidence collected during their investigation.

Below are the eight charges preferred against Ganduje and others:

FIRST HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of January 10th, 2016 or there about, 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 corruptly asked for and received the sum of $ 200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) being benefit for yourself from one of the beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the 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 No2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.

SECOND HEAD OF CHARGE.

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of February 10th, 2017 or there about, 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 kick back of the sum of $ 213,000 (Two Hundred And Thirteen Thousand United State Dollars) being money generated from people and entities seeking or holding the execution of Kano State Government contact and or project for the remodeling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors (agent) 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 No2 of 2009, Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.

THIRD HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of September 2020 and march 2021 or there about, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Business man, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, wholly owned and maintained by 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) through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd Defendant being monies earmarked and approved for the purchase and supply of face marks and other hospital 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, Sometimes between the period of September 2020 and January 2022 or there about, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Business man, 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 dishonestly misappropriated and/or converted the said sum to your own use through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd 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 Sometimes 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 6th defendant (Lamash Properties Ltd) a company 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 all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPD/256B in the name of 6th 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 4th 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 Sometimes 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 6th defendant 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 all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/1CNUPDA/256B in the name of 6th 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 N700,000,000.00 (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 4th defendant thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and causing wrongful loss to the people and government of Kano State thereby jointly committed the offence Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and read together with section 79 and punishable under section 312 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.

SEVENTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of September 2020 and march 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 5th” 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 8th 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 N750,000,000.00 (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.

EIGHTH HEAD OF CHARGE

That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Sometimes between the period of September 2020 and march 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 5th” 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 8th 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 N750,000,000.00 (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.