CSO urges interpol, NIS, others to put Ganduje on watch list

A civil Society Organisation, Movement Against Corruption in Nigeria (MACIN) had called on Interpol, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other relevant agencies to put the former Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on watch list.

Report has it that Ganduje was accused of stuffing dollars into his pocket in a video clip published by an online newspaper, Daily Nigerian suspected to be kickback from contractors in the year 2018.

Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the Lead Convener of the movement, Kabiru Dakata said, regarding Ganduje’s Dollar saga, “MACIN has been observing development in the process of investigating the former governor who was seen in a number of videos stuffing dollars in his pocket, alleging to be kick-backs from contractors executing various projects in the state.

“Our Concerns is, the Kano State House of Assembly had set up a committee in 2018 to investigate the matter, but some Ganduje’s loyalists went to court and asked the court to stop the investigation, and so it happened. The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption started its own investigation in 2019, but because of the immunity Ganduje was enjoying as a governor, the commission said it will suspend an investigation on him until he completed his tenure as the governor of Kano state.

“The commission has recently reopened the investigation, tendered a report of forensic experts that confirmed the authenticity of the video clips. As a way of ensuring fairness to Ganduje, the commission invited him to come and state his part, but Ganduje and his APC in Kano state publicly told the world that he will not honor the commission’s invitation.

“Our investigation has revealed that the former governor is planning to use any or all of three major strategies to sabotage any process of investigating him. The strategies are using delay tactics in court to stop inviting, arresting or investigating him on the allegation. To actualize this, he already obtained a court order stopping the Kano Anti-Corruption Commission, DSS and Police from arresting or investigating him.

“Hiding under the image of the brand new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On this, Ganduje’s political associates have already started bragging that they are the owners of the presidency and nobody can investigate Ganduje. This also buttresses their longtime praise to Ganduje. “Ka ci banza Baba” means, “you ate the loot and nothing will happen.” It is well known to the public that whenever Ganduje is praised in that manner, he will smile and wave hands which is a clear admission of the allegation.”

He further alleged that the ex-governor is planning to run out of the country adding that “it was uncovered that in case the above two strategies failed, Ganduje will run out of the country.”

Therefore, the CSO called on the former governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to respect the laws of the land including the Kano State Anti-Corruption law, and submit himself for investigation so as to allow justice to take its course.

“This delay tactic he is using will indicate that he is indirectly admitting the allegation but does not want to be investigated.

“We call on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow anybody with corruption allegations to use the image of his brand new administration hiding place to sabotage investigation and prosecution. In addition to this, we appeal to Mr. President to distance his cabinet from people like Ganduje so that the International Community will not tag Nigeria fantastically corrupt.

“We call on the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the Nigerian Immigration Service, and all other relevant agencies to put the former governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, on close watch so that he should not run from the country before the investigation.”