NEWS: EFCC ARREST GANDUJE'S WIFE FOR ALLEGED FRAUD.....Son Petitions Mother To Anti-Graft Agency

Hafsat Ganduje

Wife of the Kano state Governor, Dr. Mrs. Hafsat Ganduje was reportedly arrested on Monday, 4th October by operatives of the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

According to reports, Mrs. Ganduje had allegedly, failed to honour an invitation by the EFCC, following a petition by her son against her bordering on some issues financial transactions, pertaining to lands sales wherein, she had used her office and position to collect monies from a property investor whom he (the son) had dealings with, and the funds accrued, given to her. 

Inside sources say the 1st Lady, reportedly used her office to resell the lands to another person, keeping accrued funds from both sales.   

The arrest comes weeks after her failure to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.

Mrs Ganduje had earlier been invited to report to the EFCC’s Abuja headquarters on September 13, PREMIUM TIMES reported previously.

But she did not appear and the EFCC then threatened to arrest her. Sources close to her later said she travelled to the UK at the time to attend the graduation ceremony of her son.

Investigators are questioning Mrs Ganduje over allegations relating to land fraud in a petition by her own son, Abdualzeez Ganduje.

A person, who has the knowledge of the arrest but asked not to be identified, said “she was arrested (Monday) evening.”

Although she was later released after interrogation , said a source.

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.

Mr Ganduje, the governor, had previously been involved in a corruption-related scandal. He has struggled to untangle himself from the public perception that he is a corrupt public servant since 2018 when Daily Nigerian published a series of videos that showed the governor collecting money from a government contractor.

According to sources who saw 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”.

PREMIUM TIMES 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.

However, efforts by Solacebase to speak with EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujare was not successful as his phoneline was off, similarly, Chief Press Secretary to Kano State Governor, Abba Anwar’s phone was not connecting.