Court stops Kano anti-graft agency from investigating Ganduje over missing N100bn LG funds

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano State has restrained the State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission from investigating immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, over alleged misappropriation of N100 billion from the state’s local government accounts.

While delivering the ruling on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Justice S.A. Amobeda, also stopped the commission from inviting, investigating, arresting, and intimidating local government chairpersons pending the determination of the applicants’ motion on notice.

The restraining order was consequent upon an ex-parte application filed by counsel to the applicants, Morgan C. Omereonye, which sought a perpetual order stopping the commission from further investigation into the missing funds.

The applicants were the chairpersons of Dawakin Tofa, Ungogo, Dambatta, Kunchi, Rimin Gado, Karaye, Bichi, Tsanyawa, Gwarzo, Tarauni, Dala, Tudun Wada, Kano Municipal and Shanono LGAs, while the respondents were the commission and its chairman, Muhuyi Rimin-Gado.

Read also: Gandollar: APC alleges ‘sinister ploy,’ tells ex-gov Ganduje to ignore invite by anti-graft agency

The anti-graft agency had, on Monday, announced that it had commenced an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of the funds under Ganduje’s government and the affected LG chairmen, prompting them to approach the court to put the restraining order on the commission.

Justice Amobeda also granted an interim injunction “restraining the respondents jointly and severally, personally or through their agents, servants, privies and/or assigns, from arresting whomever and however from inviting, investigating, arresting, detaining, harassing and/or intimidating the applicants in respect of local governments accounts, their personal accounts, vouchers and cash books of local governments herein, pending the hearing and determination of the applicants’ motion on notice.”

The court also stopped the respondents from “taking any further steps in connection with, or relating to, or arising from the invitation by the respondents against the applicants, as communicated in the first respondent’s letters, dated July 7 and 10, 2023, respectively, pending the determination of the applicants’ motion on notice.”

The judge however, granted an accelerated hearing of the applicants’ motion on notice and directed the respondents to maintain the status quo regarding the subject matter of the suit, pending the hearing and determination of the notice, before adjourning until July 20 for a hearing of the substantive motion.

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