Court restrains Kano anti-corruption agency, security agencies from arresting Ganduje, family members

A Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order restraining the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), as well as the police, State Security Service (SSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), from arresting the former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, his family members, and his government’s appointees.

The court’s decision came as a response to an invitation extended to Mr. Ganduje by the PCACC to provide answers regarding the infamous “dollar videos” that were published by DAILY NIGERIAN in October 2018.

These videos depicted Mr. Ganduje allegedly accepting bundles of dollars, suspected to be bribes, and stuffing them into his pockets.

The Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado, confirmed on Wednesday that forensic analysis had been conducted, which verified the authenticity of the videos.

However, on Friday, Justice A. Liman presiding over the court case filed by Mr. Ganduje seeking fundamental enforcement of his rights to fair hearing, granted an ex-parte order. This order prohibits the anti-corruption agency and other security agencies from arresting Mr. Ganduje until the motion is heard.

The order reads: “THAT AN ORDER is granted restraining the respondents whether by themselves or acting through their officers, men, operatives, privies, or any person or group of persons whosoever described from harassing, intimidating, inviting, threatening to arrest, arresting, detaining the applicant, or his children or any member of his family or any appointee who served under the Administration of the Applicant or forcefully taking over of the applicant’s properties or his children or any member of his family, or his appointee who served under the Administration of the Applicant pending determination of the Applicant’s substantive Originating Motion in this matter.

“THAT the interim order shall operate pending the hearing of the motion for enforcement of Fundamental Right which is fixed for the 14″ of July, 2023.

“THAT the Respondents shall be served with the Motion 36 hours from today.”