Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, chairman of the Kano state public complaints and anti-corruption commission, has confirmed that the footage of immediate past governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje – showing him receiving ‘bribe in dollars’ was not doctored.

“Anybody that knows can tell that I am passionate about what I am doing, which is to fight corruption. People are disturbing and pressurising me to probe the dollar videos. We are on it already. Forensic analysis has confirmed to us that the videos were not doctored,” Mr Rimingado said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a one-day public dialogue on ‘Anti-Corruption Crusade in Kano’, Mr Rimingado said the video had given the state a ‘bad image’ even outside the shores of Nigeria.

In 2018, an online newspaper, Daily Nigerian, published a series of videos exposing Mr Ganduje allegedly receiving kickbacks in bundles of dollar notes and stuffing them inside his flowing dress of “babanriga” from public contractors in Kano.

The video went viral on social media and triggered public criticism as Nigerians, especially critics of the former governor, demanded an investigation into the matter.

Following his role in the scandalous footage, Mr Ganduje, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was immediately dubbed by netizens as ‘Gandollar’, a jibe coined from his last name and dollar.

Although, at the time,  Mr Ganduje, who had constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution, branded the video doctored but Nigerians continued to mock him. 

Mr Rimingado explained that his commission had commenced an investigation into the video in 2018 but could not proceed as at then as Mr Ganduje, who was governor at the time, enjoyed “immunity” of the office.

“There are reports that the dollar videos are giving Kano a bad name in not only Nigeria, but across the globe. That is why I am so determined to investigate and ensure that the suspect is being probed to clear the air and reclaim Kano back to its good reputation,” the anti-graft boss added.

He, however, stated that since the release of the footage, people had been on the neck of the commission to prove the innocence or otherwise of the former governor in the allegation.