Alleged Kickback bribery: Court dismisses case against Ganduje

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Monday dismissed a suit
filed by a Kano based lawyer Bulama Bukarti seeking an order of the
court compelling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) to investigate Governor Abdullahii Umar Ganduje for
allegedly receiving kickback from a contractor.

The Judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence.

Bulama had approached the court seeking for an order compelling
the EFCC to provide report of its forensic investigation analysis
of the said video allegedly showing Ganduje receiving kickback from
an unknown contractor.

However, Justice Egwuatu ruled that even though where the
affidavit deposed to, is not countered, it is deemed admitted,the
evidence therein must be cogent and verifiable.

The judge averred that the provisions of Freedom of Information
Act 2011, required that information requested must be a public
record and in the custody of the instruction of organization so
requested from.

Justice Egwuatu dismissed the case on the grounds that the
evidence before the court has not shown that the EFCC has the
record of the forensic analysis of the bribery video allegations,
noting that the report ought to be given to the Kano state House of
Assembly ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the matter.