$5m bribery scandal: Court shields Ganduje from investigation by State Assembly

The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, has secured protection from the court to be prevented from being investigated by the State House of Assembly on the video clip that exposed the governor’s alleged $5 million contract bribe.

National Daily gathered that a High Court in Kano has prohibited the Kano State House of Assembly from proceeding with investigation of Governor Ganduje on the bribery allegation by an online publication, Daily Nigerian, which exposed the governor in demanding and receiving $5 million bribery from contractors.

Governor Ganduje had declared that the videos are fake, but the publisher, Jafar Jafar, had insisted that the videos are genuine when he appeared before the house Committee investigating the bribery video.

National Daily further gathered that in suit number K/497/2018 instituted by Muhammad Zubair, National Coordinator of Lawyers for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria, for Governor Ganduje, Justice A.T. Badamasi issued an Interim Injunction, restraining the Kano State House of Assembly Investigative Committee, which comprised of seven members, from further investigation of the $5 million bribery allegation.

Defendants in the suit were identified to include the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Baffa Babba Dab Agundi and other members of the seven-man Investigative Committee and state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Justice Badamasi was cited to have declared: “Upon carefully run through the Ex-parte application dated 5th day of November, 2018 filed by Counsel for the plaintiff/applicant accompanied by a 23 paragraphs affidavit duly deposed to by Muhammad Zubair, a legal practitioner as well as the written address in support of Application thereto:

“And after hearing Mr. Nuraini Jimoh Esq. (with him A.N.Ahmad Esq) Counsel for the applicant. The application is hereby granted in the following manner:

“The Respondents should be served before the close of work today (5 November); Accelerated hearing is hereby ordered and the respondents are given four days to respond to this application after service.

“Parties should maintain status quo ante pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice.”

The Judge, thereafter, adjourned the case to Monday, 12 November 2018 for hearing.

Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje had already sent a Commissioner to appear on his behalf on the invitation of the investigating Committee of the House to defend himself on the bribery allegation.