The Kano State Government has filed a ₦4.49 billion fraud suit against former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his two sons, and several associates before the Kano State High Court, accusing them of diverting public assets and funds belonging to the state.
According to the charge sheet filed on October 13, 2025, the state seeks to recover its 20 per cent equity stake in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited and reclaim ₦4,492,387,013.76 in public funds allegedly misappropriated through fraudulent transactions.
Those named in the suit include Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Muhammad Abdullahi Umar, Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro (former Special Adviser), Hassan Bello (former Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council), Adamu Aliyu Sanda (a legal practitioner), and Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.
The defendants face ten counts bordering on criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of public funds, breach of trust, and conflict of interest.
Prosecutors allege that the accused persons conspired to fraudulently transfer 80 per cent of the dry port’s shares, including the state’s 20 per cent equity, to private entities under a shell company known as City Green Enterprise.
“The defendants deliberately hijacked a federal initiative and used proxies and fake entities to conceal the diversion of public assets meant for the people of Kano State,” the prosecution said.
The charge further claims that more than ₦4.49 billion in public funds was siphoned under the guise of infrastructure development, including road construction, electricity, and fencing around the port. Investigators allege that these projects were funded with state resources but ultimately benefited private firms linked to Ganduje, his sons, and their associates.
The summary of evidence shows that the original board of Dala Inland Dry Port Limited included a Kano State Government representative, Abdullahi Haruna, but the alleged share transfer was executed unilaterally by Ganduje without board consent.
Among the witnesses expected to testify are the lead investigating officer and an early stakeholder who claims to have been excluded from the deal. A policy document from the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, confirming Kano State’s 20 per cent ownership, is also expected to be tendered as evidence.
The prosecution says it will present documents allegedly falsified to mislead regulators, along with evidence of a ₦750 million transaction routed through Safari Textile Ltd.
The high-profile corruption case marks one of the most significant legal challenges yet against the former Kano governor, who is already facing multiple graft investigations at the state and federal levels.
