A federal high court sitting in Kano has issued an interim order preventing the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, and the Nigeria Police Force from arresting Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of the state.
Other parties restrained by the court from taking action against Ganduje include the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kano commissioner of police, the Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Attorney-Heneral of the Federation, and the Attorney-General of Kano state.
Recall that, on Thursday, the PCACC announced that it had invited Ganduje for interrogation next week.
Also recall that, in 2018, an online publication published a video of Ganduje which claimed that the former governor was receiving bundles of dollars from contractors, which he stuffed into his babanriga, a traditional outfit.
The online publication claimed that the former governor requested $5 million as a bribe from the contractors who recorded the video.
In the interim order released on Friday by the presiding Judge of the Federal High Court in Kano, A.M Liman, stated that the directive would remain in effect pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion.
Hemba, a counsel to Ganduje, had filed the suit
The court order read, “Restraining the respondents, whether by themselves or acting through their officers, men, operatives, agents, or any persons or group of persons howsoever described, from harassing, intimidating, detaining the applicant or his children, or any member of his family, or any appointee who served under the administration of the applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating motion.
“An order restraining the respondents, whether by themselves or acting through their officers, men, operatives, agents, privies, or any persons or group of persons howsoever described, from harassing, arresting, inviting, or detaining the applicant or his children, or any member of his family, or any appointee who served under his administration, or forcefully taking over properties of his children or any member of his family, or any appointee who served under his administration, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating motion.”
It would be recalled that, on Friday, the All Progressives Congress , APC, in Kano had asked Ganduje to disregard the invitation of the state anti-corruption commission.
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