The Federal High Court in Kano has been asked to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from probing the immediate past governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over video clips allegedly showing him receiving dollars from a contractor as kickbacks.
In court documents sighted by Daily Trust on Wednesday, the former Attorney General of Kano State in the originating summons filed against the EFCC as the sole defendant asked the court to declare that based on the supremacy of the Constitution, the anti-corruption agency does not have the right to investigate a case already pending before the state House of Assembly.
Daily Trust observed that the suit was filed before the court on March 23, few days after the gubernatorial elections in which the opposition party came out on top.
It was further observed that the court papers was only delivered to the EFCC on June 5.
Members of the legal team that filed the suit on behalf of the Attorney General confirmed to Daily Trust that the suit was pending before the court but promised to cross check and revert on the next hearing date.
In the court documents, the then attorney general asked the court to also make a mandatory injunction “directing the Defendant to withdraw all Invitations issued to the Executive Chairman and Director Finance, SUBEB as well as the Accountant General of Kano State in connection with the video clips of bribery allegation against Abdullabi Umar Ganduje, and await the conclusion of the Case No: CV/1598/2021, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje v. Jaafar Jafaar & Anor. before High Court fothe Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.
The court was also asked to make an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Defendant, either by themselves, officers, operatives, servants, agents, privies, cronies and or representatives by whatsoever name known or called from further inviting, investigating, interrogating or taking any action whatsoever and howsoever in connection with the video clips of bribery allegation” against Ganduje until after the conclusion of the civil case.
Recall that the video clips published in 2018 by Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, allegedly revealed the former governor stuffing wands of US dollars in the pockets of his flowing dress.
While the publisher of the video clips said the money were kickbacks from contractors the then governor had awarded contracts, he (Ganduje) denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The state House of Assembly had then subsequently set up an investigation committee but until the end of the tenure of the assembly, the findings of the investigation were not made public.
While the new Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, was yet to make any declaration as regards the video clips since assuming office, a civil society organization, War Against Injustice, has asked the EFCC to investigate and prosecute Ganduje since he no longer enjoys immunity.