The Kano State Government has lodged new charges against the former governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday.
According to the New Agency of Nigeria, the charge sheet, labeled case No. K/143c/24, Ganduje and former Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan, are accused of criminal conspiracy and misappropriation.
The charges are in violation of Section 308 and punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code (as amended) CAP 105, Vol. 2, the Laws of Kano State of Nigeria.
The state government claims the offense is punishable under Sections 97 and 315, accusing both Ganduje and Lawan of abuse of office.
The state intends to present four witnesses in court, though no arraignment date has been set yet.
On April 4, the Kano government initiated legal proceedings against Mr. Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six others at the Kano High Court.
Among the co-defendants are Ganduje’s son, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd., Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises.
The court proceeded to enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendants and reserved judgment on preliminary objections raised by their counsel, Nuraini Jimoh, concerning the charges.
During the subsequent hearing, Justice Amina Aliyu expressed concern over the defendants’ failure to appear in court despite being duly served through substituted means.
The prosecution, led by Adeola Adediyo, urged the court to issue a bench warrant against Mr. Ganduje, his wife, and the other six individuals.
