Dala Inland Dry Port Nigeria Restricted has reacted to a PREMIUM TIMES investigation concerning the firm’s possession, saying its new house owners had no data of any co-ownership by the Kano authorities earlier than shopping for the property.
In an announcement despatched to PREMIUM TIMES, the administration of the dry port additionally claimed that paperwork displaying ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s kids as former shareholders had been solid by the founder and former managing director of the port, Ahmad Rabiu.
The administration mentioned the brand new house owners acquired the port in 2020 from Mr Rabiu, who allegedly claimed to be the only real proprietor of the port.
It mentioned the power is a federally permitted mission below the supervision of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and it has, since buying the dry port, persistently operated with transparency and accountability.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, in March 2020, secretly transferred the state authorities’s 20 per cent stake within the firm to personal arms, making his kids co-owners earlier than awarding a contract price over N2.3 billion to supply infrastructure for the mission.
The switch edged Kano State out of possession, whereas Mr Ganduje’s kids emerged as administrators and shareholders. Shortly after, Mr Ganduje, then governor, awarded a contract for works that had been initially the state’s accountability below its fairness settlement.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Kano State was to pay for its 20 per cent fairness by offering infrastructure —roads, fencing, electrical energy, and water on the Zawachiki website in Kumbotso Native Authorities Space. The state authorities, below completely different governors, failed to take action till the possession of the agency was modified in March 2020 to favour the Ganduje kids.
In 2022, two years after the data had been altered to favour the Ganduje household and a former aide, Abubakar Bawuro, new CAC filings eliminated the Ganduje kids and transferred their shares to Mr Bawuro, the investigation discovered.
A CAC doc seen by PREMIUM TIMES now lists solely Mr Bawuro and Mr Rabiu as shareholders and Individuals with Vital Management (PSC). The data, dated 19 October 2022, confirmed Mr Bawuro holding 80 per cent of shares and Mr Rabiu 20 per cent. That new possession construction nonetheless subsisted on the time of our report.
Nonetheless, the brand new house owners of the port say they aren’t conscious that the Kano State Authorities owned any share within the port.
The administration mentioned that Kano State by no means owned the property, arguing that its data of acquisition by no means confirmed the state authorities as a shareholder.
The corporate mentioned it performed its personal CAC search, which didn’t listing Kano State as having fairness within the mission.
It additionally mentioned Kano State’s contribution, below Mr Ganduje, by offering infrastructure was strictly Company Social Duty (CSR), not proof of co-ownership or fairness.
“Kano State authorities assist was categorised strictly as CSR and never possession,” the corporate mentioned.
The corporate as a substitute blamed Mr Rabiu for discrepancies within the switch of the corporate to the brand new house owners. It additionally blamed him for monetary losses and what it described as a “marketing campaign of calumny.”
How we acquired Dala Port – CGE
In accordance with the administration, Mr Rabiu personally invited Abubakar Bawuro of Metropolis Inexperienced Enterprises (CGE), now the house owners of Dala Inland Dry Port, to spend money on 2020.
The board mentioned Mr Rabiu consolidated possession by securing resignation letters from different administrators, together with his son, transferring their shares to himself, earlier than voluntarily providing 100 per cent of the corporate to CGE.
In accordance with the administration, CGE carried out due diligence on the CAC and located no proof of Kano State Authorities possession.
After promoting the port to CGE, Mr Rabiu reportedly requested to purchase again 20 per cent of the shares. CGE agreed however mentioned he has but to totally pay.
A board decision filed with CAC now displays Mr Bawuro as holding 80 per cent and Mr Rabiu 20 per cent.
“At no time was Kano State Authorities or any member of the Ganduje household listed as shareholders or administrators,” Dala Inland Dry Port mentioned, including that “one can’t take away an entity that was by no means legally a shareholder or director.”
The corporate mentioned that the corporate data that present Mr Ganduje’s kids being listed as administrators had been solid by Mr Rabiu. PREMIUM TIMES is but to confirm that declare and others by the corporate.
The agency additionally accused Mr Rabiu of failing to reveal any declare of Kano State fairness and maintained that he bought 100 per cent of the corporate to CGE with out dispute for 5 years.
Agreements, Funds, and New Management
The corporate mentioned a proper settlement was signed and full funds made between CGE and Mr Rabiu.
“Following the acquisition, new administrators had been appointed with CAC approval, together with Adamu Aliyu Sanda in 2021 and Hassan Bello in 2023.”
On the time of CGE’s entry, the NSC was reportedly contemplating revoking DIDP’s concession attributable to inactivity. “It was CGE’s intervention that revived confidence.”
Turnaround and Federal Recognition
For the reason that takeover, DIDP mentioned it has achieved important milestones.
“DIDP was declared a Port of Origin and Vacation spot by the Federal Authorities on August 5, 2022, and commissioned by late President Muhammadu Buhari on January 30, 2023,” the corporate acknowledged.
It contrasted this with what it described as “years of monetary losses and poor efficiency” below Mr Rabiu between 2005 and 2020.
Rabiu’s exit and “marketing campaign of calumny”
The corporate mentioned Mr Rabiu was eliminated as managing director on 30 July, following a assessment of the corporate’s “precarious monetary place” and his “fashion of stewardship.”
“The Managing Director’s place was abolished and changed with an Appearing Chief Working Officer in August 2025,” it mentioned.
“For the primary time in DIDP’s historical past, overhead bills and salaries had been funded fully from internally generated income,” the assertion added, describing this as proof of a sustainable turnaround.
DIDP accused Mr Rabiu of launching a “marketing campaign of calumny” after his exit, alleging that he issued threats to workers whereas having fun with “a beneficiant wage package deal, two new official autos, and jobs for his two sons.”
The board mentioned all its claims are backed by CAC filings, board resolutions, and authorities correspondence.
“The reported misrepresentations usually are not grounded in reality, legislation, or report. Rabiu voluntarily bought DIDP to CGE, which revived and developed the port, whereas KNSG’s position was restricted to CSR assist,” the corporate mentioned.
“Right this moment, DIDP stands as a sworn statement of resilience, company integrity, and efficient partnership between buyers, regulators, and authorities assist. Its revival is just not in dispute. Its future is safe.”
The corporate listed supporting paperwork, together with its Memorandum and Articles of Affiliation, Certificates of Incorporation, board resolutions, sale settlement, NSC letters, and standing stories as proof of its claims.
Mr Rabiu fights again
When PREMIUM TIMES confronted Mr Rabiu with the allegations by the port administration, he denied any accountability.
“First, it was surprising to see PREMIUM TIMES went deep into our data and printed a lot about Dala Inland Dry Port and secondly to study that the administration are accusing me of waging a marketing campaign of calumny in opposition to the corporate I based and funded for over twenty years. I’ve no motive to destroy what I constructed.”
Mr Rabiu mentioned it was Mr Ganduje, as Kano governor, that first launched him to Mr Bawuro, and he was compelled to signal the gross sales settlement below duress.
“I by no means knew Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro till Governor Ganduje launched him whereas we had been engaged on the dry port. He later resigned as Ganduje’s aide in December 2020 and joined our board as chairman on the Governor’s verbal instruction.”
“I used to be additionally pressured to nominate Adamu Aliyu Sanda as authorized adviser in 2019, months earlier than I used to be compelled to signal a poorly drafted gross sales settlement. I used to be advised the client was ‘Metropolis Inexperienced Enterprises,’ which was not even a authorized entity. Bawuro’s identify was written on it, however he by no means invested in a kobo.”
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“Bawuro and Sanda dealt with paperwork of gross sales settlement below the supervision of Hassan Bello, who at the moment was the CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Bello later served me a 30-day termination discover of concession far wanting the three months required, placing me in a really troublesome scenario.”
“However what pains me even additional is that after leaving workplace, Mr Bello instantly joined the board of Dala Inland Dry Port—first as a marketing consultant who attended and took part totally in board conferences, and later as a full board member.”
When requested if the Kano authorities was ever represented on the board of Dala port, he mentioned ‘sure.’
“Abdullahi Haruna was the director that represented the curiosity of Kano State Authorities on the Board. Sanda ought to give full and sincere report,” he mentioned.
“As for incompetence, I’ve nothing to show. I’ve been recognised and revered because the frontrunner and knowledgeable on issues of inland ports in our nice nation. Bawuro was a most ruler at Dala Inland Dry Port. We’ve got held a median of 1 Board Assembly each month since we got here collectively as a result of he should resolve each step we had been to take. H.E. Ganduje needed to intervene between I and Bawuro all via.”