Dollar Video: Anti-Graft Agency Hasn’t Invited Ganduje, Says Ex-Commissioner

Mallam Muhammad Garba, a former Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Information in Kano State, has spoken about the state's ex-governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The ex-commissioner, on Thursday said former governor Ganduje, had yet to receive the letter of invitation from the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commissioner.

Recall that the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado, had on Wednesday, during a one-day public dialogue on anti-corruption crusade in Kano, said forensic analysis declared that the content of the 2017 viral video which captured Ganduje, allegedly receiving bundles of dollar notes as bribe from a contractor was not doctored but real.

He had also stated that since the commission commenced an investigation into the allegations in 2018, proving Ganduje’s guilt or innocence had been impossible because the former governor had immunity.

But Garba, in an interview with the BBC Hausa service monitored by The PUNCH on Thursday afternoon, said, “Ganduje is yet to receive the invitation letter purported to have been sent to him.”

On the genuineness and authenticity of the video clips, the former commissioner said he would not comment on that because the matter was still before the court.

Also, the immediate-past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Musa Lawal, while speaking on a Trust TV programme, described the moves by Rimingado, to re-open the video case of Ganduje as an act in ignorance.

“How can you open an investigation into a case that is before a Federal Appeal Court in Abuja,”  Lawal asked.

He said, “The dollar video case is still an allegation that is before a competent Court in Abuja, so for somebody to now come to Kano and start talking about it could even be tantamount to contempt of Court.”

Lawal also added that the case has two faces, one criminal and the other one civil, stating that the civil aspect is before the Appeal Court while the criminal one is being investigated by the police.

“The police headquarters in Abuja are handling the criminal aspect of the case and all those that are involved, that is the contractors handling Kano Projects, have testified before the police and the case has not been closed.”

Lawal then cautioned against doing something that would jeopardise the court and the police investigation on the matter.

However, a group, Coalition for Northern Civil Society Group, condemned the PCACC recent moves to investigate the dollar videos, alleging that the move was orchestrated together with the Kano State Government to bring the ex-governor to disrepute and spoil any chance of the ex-governor in securing any appointment with the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

The secretary of the group, Mohammad Shuaibu, who also appeared on the Channels TV programme, said it was unfortunate that since the video emerged in 2018, the emphasis had been on only the alleged “receiver” while the “giver” of the alleged bribery has not been brought to the limelight.

“Rimingado must understand that he can’t pre-empt what is already in the courts. He must also be reminded, he risks contempt of court.

“It is obvious, Muhuyi and his band of destructive agents are unhappy with the cordial relationship between the duo,” Shuaibu said.