By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA – A High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory sitting at Maitama, has okayed
accelerated hearing of a suit seeking to compel
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, to arrest and prosecute the First Lady of
Kano State, Dr. Hafsatu Abdullahi Ganduje, over
alleged role she played in a $5million bribery
scandal involving her husband.
The court, in a ruling by Justice Yusuf
Halilu, further ordered the EFCC, the Kano
State government and the All Progressives
Congress, APC, who were listed as 1st to
3rd Defendants, to show cause why all
assets owned by and or traceable to
governor Ganduje and his wife, should not
be temporarily forfeited, pending the
hearing and disposal of a suit that was
lodged before it by a Non Governmental
Organisation.
Likewise, the court ordered the APC, through its
National Working Committee, to equally show
cause why it should not be directed to
immediately remove and substitute governor
Ganduje’s name as its candidate for the 2019
general election in Kano State.
The orders followed a suit marked CV/344/18
and a motion ex-parte marked M/887/18, which
was lodged by a group under the aegis of the
Incorporated Trustees of Hope Development and
Empowerment Foundation.
Though the plaintiff had in the motion ex-parte it
filed through its lawyer, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi,
prayed the court to order EFCC to temporarily
seize all assets traceable to governor Ganduje
and his wife, pending the determination of the
suit.
However, Justice Halilu declined the request,
even as he directed service of all the processes
on the Defendants to enable them to appear
before the court on January 31 to show cause
why the orders should not be made.
Specifically, the Plaintiff had in the substantive
suit, prayed the court to determine:
“Whether having regard to the provision of
Section 15 (5) of the amended 1999 Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and upon an
intimate reading and complete understanding of
the decisions of the Nigerian Supreme Court in
A.G.,Ondo State v.A.G.,Fed (2002) 9 NWLR
(Pt.772) 222 and Fawehinmi v. I.G.P.(2002) 7
NWLR (Pt.767) 606, the 1st Defendant herein is
not duty-bound to immediately commence the
criminal investigation of the Governor of Kano
State regarding the corrupt episode of kick-back
(bribe) taking [to the tune of $5, 000,000.00] by
the Governor as contained in a viral online video?
“Whether upon a calm reading of Section 15 (5)
of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and intimate understanding of
the decision of the Nigerian Supreme Court in
A.G.,Ondo State v.A.G.,Fed (2002) 9 NWLR
(Pt.772) 222, it is not imperative on the 3rd
Defendant to remove and substitute the name of
the Governor of Kano State as its candidate for
the governorship election in Kano State of Nigeria
scheduled for 2019.
As well as, “Whether kick-back(bribe) taking [to
the tune of $5, 000,000.00] by the Governor of
Kano State as contained in a viral online video is
not a grave violation of Section 15(5) of the
amended 1999 Constitution, Public Procurement
Act, 2011 and Code of Conduct for Public
Officers in Nigeria?”.
Upon determination of the legal questions, the
group, among other reliefs, sought for, “A
declaration of this Honourable Court that kick-
back(bribe) taking [to the tune of $5,
000,000.00] by the Governor of Kano State as
contained in a viral online video is a grave
violation of Section 15(5) of the amended 1999
Constitution, Public Procurement Act, 2011 and
Code of Conduct for Public Officers in Nigeria.
“An order directing the 1st Defendant (EFCC) to
immediately arrest and commence the criminal
prosecution of the First Lady of Kano State of
Nigeria, Dr. Hafsatu Abdullahi Ganduje [a co-
conspirator], in the corrupt episode of kick-back
(bribe) taking [to the tune of $5, 000,000.00] by
the Governor as contained in a viral online
“An order of this Honourable Court declaring
void, quashing and setting aside the submission
of the name of the Governor of Kano State,
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as the candidate of the
3rd Defendant in the 2019 governorship election
holding in Kano State of Nigeria.
Likewise, “An order of perpetual injunction
restraining the 3rd Defendant from ever holding
out the Governor of Kano State of Nigeria,
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as its candidate of the
3rd Defendant in the 2019 governorship election
holding in Kano State of Nigeria”.
In a supporting affidavit that was deposed to by
one Martin Onyedika Okoye, the group, drew
attention of the court to what it described as “a
scandalous video” it said depicted governor
Ganduje as pocketing vast wads of American
dollars in what was said to be bribe payments
from public works contractors.
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“In the said video, the Kano State governor could
be seen collecting the dollars before rolling them
into his white dress, “babanriga,” in one of a
series of questionable deals allegedly struck over
a span of several months.
“That the corrupt episode as contained in the
said video has lowered the image of public
governance and shocks the conscience of
ordinary Nigerians whose situation have been
worsened, overtime, by the ravaging impacts of
corruption such as depicted by the video the
subject-matter of the instant suit.
“That time is of the essence of this application
as the more delay recorded by the 1st and 3rd
Defendants in doing the needful regarding the
corrupt episode the more irreparable damage it
does to all what good governance stands for in
Nigeria.
“It is in the interest of justice that prayers
contained on the face of the Motion Ex-Parte of
the Claimant herein are granted by this
Honourable Court”, it added.


Source https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/alleged-5m-bribe-court-okays-suit-seeking-arrest-trial-of-gov-gandujes-wife/

Hmm, Gandollars is in soup.

Hope something comes out of this. This might be the way to get him for bribery

she might be under immunity