Only EFCC Can Prosecute Ganduje – Court

A former governor of Kano State, and national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has defeated the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)-led government in the controversial dollar video case before the Federal High Court sitting in the state.

The trial judge, Justice A.M. Liman who delivered judgement in the case, said after going through the presentations by the respective counsels to the applicants and the defendants, the Kano Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) lacks powers to investigate the case.

Justice Liman said the case can only be investigated and prosecuted by a competent federal anti-graft agency such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said the main application bothers on the protection of fundamental human rights of the applicant and that of his family, political associates and his rights to acquire properties and protection of his dignity.

The judge admitted that the scope of the judgement is limited to specific powers of the state anticorruption commission whether they can investigate the matter, despite the fact that it has elements of a federal case in it.

He therefore ruled that it is only an office conferred by the National Assembly, such as the EFCC can prosecute such cases and as such Kano State anti-corruption commission should hands off the case because they lack such powers.

Responding after the judgement, the counsel to the first respondent, the PCACC, Barrister Usman Umar Fari, said that he had consulted his client and that they are going to appeal the judgement.

He said, they are not satisfied with the judgement and as such they are going to the Appeal Court where they are confident of a favourable judgement.