Again, dollar scandal rocks Kano government house as Ganduje’s son reports mother to EFCC

Abdulazeez Ganduje, the eldest son of the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has reported his mother to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly swindling him of hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

According a PREMIUM TIMES report, the first lady, Hafsat Ganduje, has shunned an invitation extended to her by the anti-graft agency to make herself available for questioning.

According to the report, Mrs Ganduje was invited to report last Thursday to the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC.

Mr Abdulazeez had dragged his mum, Hafsat Ganduje, to the EFCC, sources familiar with the matter said, suggesting a pattern of corruptly using family access to power for private enrichment, the report said.

Her husband, Governor Ganduje, had previously been involved in a corruption-related scandal exposed by Daily Nigerian.

According to sources who saw Mr Abdulazeez’s petition, he reported that he was approached by a property developer to help facilitate the acquisition of some plots of land in Kano with some hundreds of thousands of US dollars and at least 35 million Naira as “facilitation commission”.

The paper further learnt that Abdulazeez said he paid the sum in dollars to his mother, Mrs Ganduje.

“But three months later, (the property developer) discovered that the plots of land he wanted and had paid the first family for had been allocated to other buyers and he then requested to be refunded,” one source added.

A spokesperson for Kano State Government, Mohammed Garba, when asked to comment on the matter said, “I am not aware” and, so, he could not comment.

EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not comment on the matter when contacted on Monday.

But insiders said Mrs Ganduje could be arrested if she refuses to report for questioning. Unlike her husband, who by virtue of his office, enjoys immunity from arrest and prosecution, Mrs Ganduje enjoys no such constitutional immunity.