The Kano State Government has filed a criminal suit against former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, two of his sons, and several associates over an alleged ₦4.49 billion fraud involving the Dala Inland Dry Port project.
The lawsuit, lodged before the Kano State High Court on October 13, 2025, accuses the defendants of misappropriating public funds and unlawfully transferring the state’s 20% equity stake in the dry port to private ownership.
Those named in the case include Ganduje, his sons Umar and Muhammad, former Special Adviser Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro, ex-Nigerian Shippers Council boss Hassan Bello, legal practitioner Adamu Aliyu Sanda, and Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.
They face a ten-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, diversion of public assets, and conflict of interest.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired to transfer 80% of the port’s shares — including Kano’s 20% stake — to a shell company known as City Green Enterprise, disguising the real beneficiaries.
“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,” prosecutors stated.
Investigators allege that over ₦4.49 billion in state funds was siphoned under the pretext of developing port infrastructure — such as roads, electricity, and fencing — which were instead designed to benefit privately controlled companies.
Court filings reveal that former Governor Ganduje allegedly executed the controversial share transfer without the consent of other board members, including the state’s representative, Abdullahi Haruna.
The prosecution is expected to present several key witnesses, including the lead investigator and a former stakeholder who claims he was excluded from the project.
Evidence to be tendered reportedly includes documents from the Obasanjo administration confirming Kano’s 20% equity in the project, falsified records used to mislead regulators, and proof of a ₦750 million payment made through Safari Textile Ltd.
The case is expected to attract major public interest as it unfolds in court.