Court stops Kano agency from probing missing N100bn in Ganduje’s govt

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has stopped the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission from investigating the alleged missing N100 billion from the state’s Local Government Council accounts.

The court, presided over by Justice S.A. Amobeda, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, also stopped the anti-graft commission and its agents from inviting, investigating, arresting, intimidating local government chairmen in the state, pending the determination of the Applicants’ Motion on Notice.

The court gave the restrain order upon an exparte application moved by counsel for the applicants, Morgan C. Omereonye.

The anti-graft agency had earlier on Tuesday said it has commenced an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of the funds by the administration of the immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.

The commission alleged that it has traced how some of the money were transferred and to the endpoints, over a period of four years.

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The applicants before the court are 15 Local Government Chairmen of from Dawakin Tofa, Ungogo, Dambatta, Kunchi, Rimin Gado, Karaye, Bichi, Tsanyawa, Gwarzo, Tarauni, Dala, Tudun Wada, Kano Municipal, and Shanono.

The respondents in the suit are the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, and its chairman, Muhuyi Rimin-Gado.

The court granted an interim injunction “restraining the respondents jointly and severally, personally or through their agents, servants, privies and/or assigns, from arresting whomever and however from inviting, investigating, arresting, detaining, harassing and/or intimidating the applicants in respect of local governments accounts, their personal accounts, vouchers, and cash books of local governments herein, pending the hearing and determination of the Applicants’ Motion on Notice’.”

The court also stopped the respondents from “taking any further steps in connection with, or relating to, or arising from the invitation by the respondents against the applicants, as communicated in the 1st Respondent’s letters, dated July 7 and 10, 2023, respectively, pending the determination of the Applicants’ Motion on Notice.”

The court also granted accelerated hearing of the applicants’ motion on notice and directed the respondents to maintain status quo in respect of the subject matter of the suit, pending the hearing and determination of the notice.

Justice Amobeda, therefore, adjourned the case till July 20, 2023, for hearing of the substantive motion.

The Star