The Kano State Government has filed a major suit before the State High Court, seeking to recover its 20 percent equity stake in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited and reclaim over N4.49 billion allegedly misappropriated during the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The suit, filed on October 13, 2025, lists as defendants Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; his sons, Umar and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar; former Special Adviser to the Governor, Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro; former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello; legal practitioner, Adamu Aliyu Sanda; and Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.
According to court filings, the defendants face a ten-count charge, including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, and conflict of interest.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to fraudulently transfer 80 percent of the shares of Dala Inland Dry Port — including the state’s 20 percent equity — to private entities under the name “City Green Enterprise,” purportedly to hide the true ownership structure of the company.
It further accused the defendants of diverting N4,492,387,013.76 from the state’s coffers to finance infrastructure projects such as a double carriageway, electricity installations, and perimeter fencing at the dry port, allegedly for their personal and family use.
The charge sheet also claims that the accused persons abused their official positions to manipulate public assets for private gain, in violation of financial regulations and the Nigerian Constitution.
Key witnesses expected to testify include the lead investigator who uncovered the alleged transactions and a founding stakeholder in the dry port project who was reportedly sidelined during the equity transfer process.
Prosecutors say evidence will show that the accused used proxies and shell companies to disguise ownership, diverted funds through family-linked businesses, and produced forged documents to mislead regulators. It also alleges that N750 million was funneled through Safari Textile Ltd (STL Enterprise) as part of the scheme.
The prosecution will rely on policy documents dating back to the Obasanjo administration confirming the Kano State Government’s 20 percent ownership in the project, which was reportedly transferred without the consent of other board members — except for the approval of the then-governor, Ganduje.
Although a hearing date is yet to be fixed, the case has been assigned to Justice Yusuf Ubale of the Kano State High Court 2.
