A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has restrained the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, police, Department of Security Service, DSS and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC from arresting the former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, his family members and his government’s appointees.
The order was granted following an invitation extended to Ganduje by PCACC to answer questions on “dollar videos”, which was published by DAILY NIGERIAN, an online media outlet in October 2018.
The videos showed Mr Ganduje stuffing bundles of dollars believed to be bribe into his pockets.
Recall that the chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado, on Wednesday said forensic analysis had confirmed the authenticity of videos.
However, while ruling on a fundamental enforcement of rights to fair hearing filed by Mr Ganduje on Friday, Justice A. Liman granted an ex-parte order restraining the anti-corruption agency and others from arresting him, pending the hearing of the motion.
The order reads: “THAT AN ORDER is granted restraining the respondents whether by themselves or acting through their officers, men, operatives, privies, or any person or group of persons whosoever described from harassing, intimidating, inviting, threatening to arrest, arresting, detaining the applicant, or his children or any member of his family or any appointee who served under the Administration of the Applicant or forcefully taking over of the applicant’s properties or his children or any member of his family, or his appointee who served under the Administration of the Applicant pending determination of the Applicant’s substantive Originating Motion in this matter.
“THAT the interim order shall operate pending the hearing of the motion for enforcement of Fundamental Right which is fixed for the 14″ of July, 2023.
“THAT the Respondents shall be served with the Motion 36 hours from today.”