Alleged N57.4bn fraud: Kano Govt files fresh charge against Ganduje, 3 others

The Kano State Government has filed a fresh fraud charge against the immediate past governor of the state Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, his Commissioner for Local Government, Murtala Garo and two others.

According to the charge sheet, Garo, Lamin Sani and Muhammad Takai were charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, making false statements or return and criminal misappropriation.

The state accused them of mismanaging of the 44 Local Government’s statutory allocations remitted to the State Joint Local Governments account from the Federation account.

They were also accused of criminally diverted N57.4 billion through several personal accounts of Local Government’s Cashiers and other Personal and Cooperate Accounts, the charge sheet said.

The state government also accused them of transferring the funds into dollars fir their personal benefits.

The state further alleged that they acquired a Service apartment on the Murtala Muhammad Way, a commercial apartment at Akoya Oxygen – x20868 Dubai in Tigerwood and plot 2201 Floor 22 Damac Height, Marsa Dubai Marina, a multi billion Naira Hotel in Jabi, Abuja.

Others are filling stations, on Gwarzo Road Kano, Eastern Bypass Kano.

In the charge sheet, the state said it will call 143 witnesses.

No date has been fixed for the matter.

It was reported that on April 4, the Kano government filed a suit against Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar and six others before the Kano High Court. The six others include Ganduje’s son, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd., Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises.

It was also reported that on Juky 16, in the charge sheet with case No. K/143c/24, the state government accused Ganduje and erstwhile commissioner for justice, Musa Lawan, were charged with criminal conspiracy and misappropriation.

The Kano government accused Ganduje and Lawan of abuse of office.