A Federal High Court in Kano has stopped the probe against ex-governor Abdullahi Ganduje over an alleged $5 million bribery video.
In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Abdullahi Liman said the Kano Public Compliant and Anti-Corruption Commission lacks the power to investigate Ganduje.
Liman said the alleged offence was a federal case that could be prosecuted by the attorney general of the federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The offence is a federal offence and ought to have been reported before the attorney general of the federation and Economic Finance Crimes Commission.
“The scope of the anti-corruption is limited to specific power to investigate federal offences,” Liman said.
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Speaking with reporters shortly after the judgment, the counsel for the anti-graft agency, Usman Fari, said they would appeal the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
Ganduje, through his counsel, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), had filed a fundamental rights suit in July 2023 to restrain the Kano commission from arresting, investigating and inviting him over the alleged bribery video.
The respondents in the case were Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, Nigeria Police Force, inspector-general of police, commissioner of police, Kano State, State Security Services and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Others are the attorney general of the federation and attorney general of Kano State.
