CSO accuses EFCC of selective prosecution of corruption cases

The Committee Against Oppression and Persecution (COMAP) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of turning a blind eye to the prosecution of Abdullahi Ganduje, chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In April, the Kano government filed an eight-count charge bordering on bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds against Ganduje; Hafsat, his wife; and Umar Abdullahi Umar, his son.

Other defendants in the case are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.

On July 11, the defendants were arraigned in absentia and the court entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf.

On July 16, the state government filed a fresh charge against Ganduje and Musa Lawan, former attorney-general of the state.

The duo were alleged to have misappropriated, diverted and converted N240 million belonging to the state.

The offences border on criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation, contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code (as amended) CAP 105, Vol. 2, the Laws of Kano state of Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ibrahim Kure; and Udoji Franklin, chairman and secretary of the group, alleged that the EFCC is not interested in prosecuting Ganduje despite corruption petitions against him.

The CSO said after Ganduje failed to appear before the court for trial, no arrest warrant was issued against him.

The group said while the EFCC is actively prosecuting former governors, including Yahaya Bello of Kogi, it has overlooked corruption allegations against Ganduje.

“Remember, this is also a criminal case like the one the EFCC is celebrating everyday on another former two-term governor,” the group said.

“In Yahaya Bello’s case, EFCC shunned the laws of the system, treated him like a coup plotter without any official invitation and despite holding a valid restraining order against such.

“Aside from Ganduje, there are many pending cases that the antigraft agency has tactically abandoned.

“We are aware that the N70bn money laundering allegation against Bello Matawalle, former Governor of Nasarawa State, is still pending though he has a restraining order against arrest.”

BACKGROUND

In 2018, the Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, published a video of Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollars from contractors, which he stuffed into his ‘babanriga’, a traditional outfit.

The APC national chairman was governor of Kano from 2015 to 2023.

The newspaper said Ganduje requested $5 million as kickback from the contractors who recorded the video.

In 2023, the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) invited Ganduje for questioning over the video.

The former governor did not honour the invitation and instead instituted a suit against the agency.

In March, a federal high court in Kano stopped the agency from inviting or questioning Ganduje over the bribery allegation.

The court ruled that the agency lacks the power to invite or investigate Ganduje.

Abdullahi Liman, the presiding judge, said the alleged infraction is a federal offence that cannot be prosecuted by the state anti-graft agency.