The Kano State Government has filed a N57.4 billion fraud lawsuit against the immediate past governor of the state and the current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
The charges, which also implicate his former Commissioner for Local Government, Murtala Garo, and two other individuals, allege a series of financial crimes, including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, false statements, and criminal misappropriation.
According to the four-count charge sheet No.K/148c/24, the administration of Governor Abba Yusuf accuses Ganduje and his co-defendants of mismanaging the statutory allocations meant for Kano’s 44 local government areas.
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These funds, typically remitted to the State Joint Local Governments account from the Federation Account, were allegedly diverted into various personal and corporate accounts by the accused.
The state government claims that the total amount unlawfully misappropriated by Ganduje and his associates amounts to N57,433,981,816.00. The prosecution alleges that these funds were converted into cash in both United States dollars and Nigerian naira, which were then used for personal enrichment.
Among the properties allegedly acquired with the misappropriated funds are the Kano Cotton Ginnery at Challawa in Kano City, a 200-bed capacity hotel in Badawa, Nassarawa Local Government Area, and a multi-billion naira hotel in Jabi, Abuja. The charges also include the acquisition of service and commercial apartments in Dubai, as well as multiple filling stations in Kano.
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The state government asserts that the defendants used their official positions between 2020 and 2023 to facilitate these corrupt practices, resulting in significant financial loss to the state and its 44 local government areas.
The prosecution plans to present evidence from no fewer than 143 witnesses when the trial begins in the coming days. The case is expected to draw significant public attention, given the high-profile nature of the accused individuals and the substantial amount of money involved.