N57.4b fraud: Kano slams fresh charges on Ganduje, three others

Kano State Government has filed a new criminal charge against the National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and three others over the alleged diversion of N57.4 billion public fund.

The fresh charge filed by the state Anti-Corruption Commission, borders on criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, making false statements, and criminal misappropriation.

In the four-count charges made available to The Guardian in case No. No.K/148c/24 Ganduje, the immediate Governor of Kano state, Commissioner for Local Government during Ganduje’s administration, Murtala Sule Garo and two others are being accused of criminally diverted the sum of N57,433,981,816.00, meant for local government to several personal accounts.

According to the document, Ganduje, Garo and two others who were entrusted with the receipt and management of the 44 Local Government’s statutory allocations, usually remitted to the State Joint Local Governments account from the Federation account ended up diverting the large sum into private accounts of LG cashiers and corporate accounts of individuals.

The state government also accused Ganduje and others of converting the funds into cash of United States dollars which they allegedly appropriated for personal benefits.

The document indicated that the purported stolen monies were also used to acquiring properties worth Billions of Naira, including Kano Cotton Ginnery at Challawa Kano City, 200 hundred bed capacity Hotel at Badawa Nassarawa Local Government Area, Kano.

They (Ganduje, others) were also accused of using the proceed of the diverted funds to acquire a Service apartment at 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 at Jabi, the document posited.

“Others are: filling station at Gwarzo Road, Kano, filling station at Eastern Bypass Kano for their own personal benefit causing wrongful gain for themselves and wrongful loss to the good people of the State, and the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.”

According to the charge sheet, “the prosecution will at the trial of the Defendants adduce evidence to show that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants have used their offices in betrayal of their official trust between the period of 2020 to 2023 for self-enrichment.

It said 143 witnesses will be presented during the trial which is expected to commence soon.