Fresh details have emerged on the circumstances surrounding the death of the Assistant Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Abdulsalami Ginsau, at a hotel in Abuja.
As reported by Daily Trust, Ginsau, a legal practitioner and party stalwart, reportedly died after being trapped in a faulty elevator at Chida Hotels, located in the Utako District of the Federal Capital Territory.
The deceased, who chaired a committee responsible for coordinating accommodation for Kano delegates to the party’s just concluded national convention, had arrived in Abuja ahead of the event to secure lodging arrangements.
Speaking on the development on Monday, the Kano State APC Chairman, Umar Haruna Doguwa, said Ginsau checked into the hotel after successfully arranging accommodation for delegates.
He explained that concern arose when the party chieftain could not be located during the convention proceedings on Friday, prompting a search across the city.
According to Doguwa, the matter was reported at the Utako Police Division, where officers informed party members of an incident recorded at the hotel.
“We proceeded to the hotel, where the body was identified as that of our member,” he said, attributing the incident to alleged negligence on the part of the hotel management.
Doguwa added that some delegates lodged at the facility had earlier complained about a malfunctioning elevator.
He disclosed that the remains had been deposited for autopsy, while the police had commenced an investigation into the incident.
When contacted, officials at the Utako Police Division declined comments, directing enquiries to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, who could not be reached as of press time.
However, a police source confirmed that the case was reported by the hotel management on March 28 and that investigations were ongoing.
“The incident was reported, and we have commenced investigation. An autopsy is part of the process,” the source said.
The management of the hotel also declined to comment officially, citing the ongoing probe.
A source within the facility, however, disclosed that over 150 rooms had been reserved for Kano APC delegates, but the number of attendees exceeded expectations, reportedly overwhelming the hotel’s capacity.
The source further revealed that one of the elevators had developed a fault and was forcefully opened.
It was gathered that Ginsau, who was lodged on the third floor, unknowingly entered the defective lift in the early hours of Friday, leading to the fatal incident.
The situation reportedly went unnoticed until the following day when an unusual odour prompted a search, during which his remains were discovered.
Meanwhile, the Kano State chapter of the APC has called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
The state party secretary, Auwal Soja Sani Mainagge, said the deceased had arrived Abuja in good health alongside other delegates but was later found dead after failing to attend the convention.
He added that the party had set up a committee to work with security agencies in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the death, while also notifying the family.
A family representative, Hamza Haladu, described the incident as shocking, noting that Ginsau was hale and hearty before his trip.
He disclosed that the Kano State Government had intervened, assuring the family of a comprehensive probe.
Ginsau, until his death, was a prominent lawyer and corporate executive. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Ginsau & Sons and practised with Ginsau & Co. Advocates.
He also worked with H.H. Karkasara & Co., handling cases in property, taxation, and intellectual property law.
An alumnus of the Islamic University in Uganda and the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, he built a career spanning legal practice and political engagement.
He is survived by two wives and two children, and will be buried in Kano in accordance with Islamic rites.