GandujeGate: Kano mobilises 3,000 thugs to scuttle DAILY NIGERIAN publisher’s appearance before investigative panel
By Ibrahim Sha'ban
The
Kano State government has mobilized over 3,000 thugs from 44 local
government areas of the state to create chaos and scuttle the scheduled
appearance before Kano State House of Assembly.
DAILY NIGERIAN
had published verified videos clips showing the governor of Kano State,
Abdullahi Ganduje, receiving bribe from a contractor.
Although
the state government had described the footages as “cloned” and
threatened legal action against the publisher and the medium.
On
October 18, the assembly invited DAILY NIGERIAN and its publisher,
Jaafar Jaafar, to appear before its seven-man investigative panel to
answer questions regarding the authenticity of the video clips published
by the newspaper.
DAILY NIGERIAN lawyers had already written to
the police, State Security Service, SSS, seeking adequate security
“before, during and after” the investigative hearing on Thursday.
Amnesty
International had also written to the Inspector-General of Police,
Rabiu Yusuf, requesting security cover for the publisher before, during
and after the event, but the agency is yet to receive the IGP’s reply.
But
credible security sources said the Kano State Commissioner of Police,
Rabiu Yusuf, who is doing the governor’s bidding, had given nod for the
state government to mobilise thugs to create chaos.
“Thugs have
already been mobilised to attack you or scuttle the hearing. On normal
circumstance, the CP should not have allowed them to.
“The CP is complicit. That is just the truth of the matter,” a security source told Mr Jaafar on Wednesday.
Top
government officials who had also pleaded with DAILY NIGERIAN publisher
not to appear before the panel “in order to put the matter to rest”.
“If we allow you to appear before the panel, we know you will convince everybody that the clips are original.
“We are managing the situation now, but your testimony will deteriorate the situation.
“I am telling you in confidence that government will not allow you to come.
“All
of us here in government, even members of the House of Assembly, know
that the video clips genuine, but we have to defend the government,”
said a top government official who spoke in confidence with DAILY
NIGERIAN publisher.
Spokesman for Kano Police Command, Magaji
Majia, however said “adequate security arrangement” would be made,
saying he was not aware of the government’s plan to mobilise the thugs.
Director-General,
Media Affairs to the governor, Aminu Yassar, denied the alleged plan to
mobilise the thugs, saying the government respects the independence of
the Legislature and would not scuttle democratic process.
The saga
Recall
that on Monday, October 15, the Kano House of Assembly opened probe on
the bribe-taking videos of the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje,
published by DAILY NIGERIAN.
Raising a matter of urgent public
importance on Monday, a member representing Warawa Constituency, Labaran
Madari, said the assembly should investigate the authenticity of the
video and take measures.
Mr Madari said the videos had brought
the institution of governance in the state to disrepute, and therefore
the need for the legislators to take urgent action.
The matter was seconded by Rabiu Panisau, a member representing Kumbotso constituency.
Responding,
the speaker, Alhassan Rurum, constituted a seven-man committee to
investigate the matter and report back to the assembly.
Members
of the committee include Baffa Dan’Agundi (Kano Municipal) as chairman;
Labaran Madari (Warawa) member; Garba Gafasa (Ajingi), member; and
Zubairu Masu, (Sumaila) member.
Others are Ayuba Labaran (Kabo)
member; Abubakar Galadima (Bebeji), member; Garba Yau Gwarmai
(Kunchi/Tsanyawa), member and; Mujtafa Amin, secretary.
Inside
sources told DAILY NIGERIAN that the assembly is planning to serve the
governor impeachment notice as soon as the committee submits its report.
“This
is a serious matter that should not be swept under the carpet. We did
preliminary investigation and found out the videos are genuine. The
committee is just mere formality,” said a member who preferred
anonymity.
“The governor confessed to some of us that it was real but he is now trying to stop us from exercising our constitutional duty.”
Mr Ganduje has appeared in a trove of video clips receiving bribe, amounting to about $5million from contractors in the state.
Multiple
contractors who spoke with DAILY NIGERIAN on the condition of anonymity
said the governor personally receives from 15 to 25 percent kickbacks
for every project executed in the state.
The sting operation to
capture the governor on camera began two years ago when one of the
contractors agreed with DAILY NIGERIAN request to plant spy camera on
his kaftan lapel while offering the bribe.
During about 10 months
efforts to capture the bribe giving/taking scenes, the governor’s face
and body were clearly captured in nine clips, while six others did not
clearly reveal the governor’s face.
About $5m dollars were delivered to the governor during the sting operation.
One
of the contractors who preferred not to be named said the reason he
collaborated with DAILY NIGERIAN was to expose corruption and bring
sanity to the country.
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