The Kano State government has filed new charges against former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and three of his associates: Murtala Garo, a former commissioner for local government, Lamin Sani, and Muhammad Takai.
The quartet is accused of diverting a staggering N57 billion meant for the state’s 44 local government areas and converting the funds into foreign currency for personal use.
This is the second set of charges against Ganduje in less than a month. The state government previously accused him and former Attorney-General Musa Lawan of misappropriating N240 million.
To prove its case, the government intends to call 143 witnesses.
It alleges that the defendants used the stolen funds to acquire properties including a serviced apartment in Kano, a commercial apartment in Dubai, a luxury hotel in Abuja, and several filling stations in Kano.
The court has yet to set a date for the trial.
In a separate case, the Kano government has also sued Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six others over alleged bribery and misappropriation of public funds.
