Ganduje: Court throws out bribery case against Kano Gov

A Federal High Court in Kano has struck out a bribery lawsuit filed by Bulama Bukarti, a lawyer, against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the state.

Bukarti had approached the court, seeking an order that will mandate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Kano governor for allegedly receiving bribe from a contractor.

The Nation reports that the court dismissed the case on the grounds that the evidence before the court has not shown that the EFCC has the record of the forensic analysis of the bribery video allegations, noting that the report ought to be given to the Kano state House of Assembly ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the matter.

Recall that the anti-graft agency had stated that it cannot investigate Ganduje because of the immunity clause in the nation’s constitution.

Going by the immunity clause, State Governors, the President and his Deputy are shielded from prosecution while in office under Nigerian laws.

Ganduje had featured in a series of videos first published by Daily Nigerian boss, Jafaar Jafaar in October, 2018.

In the videos, the Kano governor was caught on tape receiving wads of dollar notes as kickbacks from contractors, before stuffing them into his Babaringa (a traditional outfit worn by men of northern extraction).

The Daily Nigerian says the first stash of $230,000 received by Ganduje was part of a series of cash advancement to the governor in a total bribery deal of $5 million.