Muhuyi Magaji, the chairman of the Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCCAC), has revealed that the agency has uncovered the alleged diversion of N51.3 billion by Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of the state.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Magaji disclosed that the funds traced by the anti-corruption commission were part of the over N100 billion earmarked for local governments (LGs) in the state.
According to Magaji, the diverted funds were funneled into various local government accounts, where they were disguised through false expenditure documentation before being redirected through third-party entities.
He stated, “We traced a lot of the diverted funds to various individual accounts… subsequently [transferred] to the state government house… then changed to dollars and distributed to certain individuals.”
The anti-graft chair asserted that the commission had traced over N51.3 billion based on confessional statements and evidence of diversion. He emphadised the magnitude of the issue, stating, “What we are tracking is well over N100 billion.”
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Magaji revealed that approximately 200 individuals confessed to the commission about their involvement in padding up their expenditure at the behest of the Ganduje-led administration.
He asserted, “About 200 people confessed… [they] took this money and ‘this money that they asked us to write, we purchased a car for hospital, we purchased antigenic drugs…’ it’s all lies.”
Furthermore, Magaji alleged that Ganduje sold a government-owned company to the first family of the state at an absurdly low price. He accused the former governor’s spouse of playing a significant role in the financial irregularities, stating, “The spouse of the former governor… used to be the secretary of all the accounts… linked in such particular allegations.”
The chairman eeiterated the importance of investigating Ganduje to serve as a deterrent to others. He stated, “The ultimate goal of investigating Ganduje is to serve as a deterrent to others.”
In a surprising turn of events, Abdulazeez Ganduje, the son of the former governor, visited the anti-graft agency on April 18 to express support for the commission’s case against his family members. This comes after Abdulazeez had previously reported his mother, Hafsat Ganduje, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2021 over a bribery and land fraud case.