Ganduje, Family in Dock Over ₦4bn Kano Dry Port Scandal

By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Kano State Government has filed criminal charges against former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, three of his children, and several associates over the alleged secret transfer of the state’s 20 per cent equity stake in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited, a move that reportedly cost the state billions of naira in public assets and contracts.
In a suit before the Kano State High Court, prosecutors allege that Ganduje used his office to reallocate the state’s shares in the company to private hands—including his children—while approving over ₦4 billion in state-funded contracts for the port’s infrastructure.
Investigations indicate that the transfers stripped the state of its rightful stake in the multi-billion-naira project, allowing Ganduje’s children—Abdulaziz, Umar, and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar—and longtime associate Abubakar Bawuro to become major shareholders and directors.
Ganduje, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, is scheduled to appear in court on November 19 alongside his children and Bawuro. They face a 10-count charge including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, and conflict of interest.
Other defendants include the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, and Ganduje’s family lawyer, Adamu Aliyu-Sanda.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants orchestrated the transfer of 80 per cent of Dala Inland Dry Port’s shares, including the state’s 20 per cent stake, into a shell company—City Green Enterprise—to disguise the real beneficiaries. They claim more than ₦4.49 billion earmarked for infrastructure—such as road construction, fencing, and electrification—was diverted to the new private owners.
Corporate filings show that Dala Inland Dry Port Limited was incorporated on December 8, 2003, with founder Ahmad Rabiu and his son as directors. The Kano State Government retained a 20 per cent equity stake.
However, minutes from the March 5, 2020 AGM reveal that Ganduje’s children and Bawuro replaced earlier directors, and the state’s shares were reallocated without due process. Each of Ganduje’s children reportedly received five million shares (20 per cent each), while Rabiu and Bawuro secured the remaining 20 per cent each—eliminating the state from ownership.
Legal analysts describe the case as a flagrant violation of public trust, a potential example of abuse of office and asset stripping under the guise of corporate restructuring.
The case adds to the mounting legal challenges facing Ganduje, who is already under investigation for other corruption-related allegations at both state and federal levels.