The police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have both said they cannot immediately swing into action to unravel the circumstances surrounding a series of scandalous videos that seemed to show Governor Umar Ganduje taking bribes from public works contractors in Kano State.
The initial clip of the alleged
bribe tapes surfaced online Sunday afternoon, eliciting nationwide uproar and
urgent calls for Mr Ganduje to step down from office.
A second batch of the videos was
published Monday afternoon by Daily Nigerian, a news website which published
the first video and said it has up to 15 of such clips seemingly showing the
governor taking bribes from different state contractors.
Daily Nigerian said it plans to release all the 15 video clips of Mr Ganduje’s allege bribery schemes, which he said were shot over several months.
Neither the police nor the EFCC
publicly announced any probe into the videos, even though their contents were
first published a week ago before clips started streaming in yesterday.
“If they are talking about
issues, let them resolve their issues,” Wilson Uwujaren, a spokesperson for the
EFCC, said on Monday afternoon. “Whether we are going to look at it is a different
matter, but for now, I do not know anything.”
He declined to categorically say
whether or not an investigation would be conducted into the scandal.
The Kano police commissioner,
Rabiu Yusuf, also had nothing substantial to say about the videos when reached
for comments on Monday afternoon by PremiumTimes.
“I am in Abuja, I have not seen
the video not to talk of even investigating,” the commissioner said. “I am not
in town so I do not know anything pertaining to that for now.”
“But do not worry, when I am
done, I would call to let you know,” he added.
Mr Ganduje is a member of the
ruling All Progressives Congress. It was not immediately clear whether or not
that is a real factor in the scandal, although federal authorities have been
accused of only going after opposition figures under the current
administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari was
reported by Daily Nigerian to have seen the video and ordered investigation,
but it remains unclear whether law enforcement authorities have updated the
president on their efforts, if indeed they have started investigations.
The governor has absolute
immunity from prosecution, a constitutional provision that could have him
retain office unless he is compelled to resign or gets impeached by the state
parliament.
Daily Nigerian reported earlier
on Monday that members of Kano State House of Assembly have raised a committee
to commence a probe of the videos.
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