Tragic Death of APC Official at Chida Hotel
Details have emerged regarding the tragic death of Abdulsalami Ginsau, the Assistant Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State. Ginsau, a lawyer and prominent figure within the party, died at the Chida Hotels located in the Utako District of Abuja. His death occurred on Friday, March 27, after he was allegedly trapped in a faulty elevator at the hotel’s facility.
Ginsau was responsible for arranging accommodation for delegates from Kano State during the recent APC convention. According to Umar Haruna Doguwa, the Kano State chairman of the APC, Ginsau arrived in Abuja a day ahead of the convention to make hotel bookings for participants from the state. After settling the delegates, Ginsau lodged at the Chida Hotels. The party chieftain went missing during the convention on Friday, prompting an urgent search for him.
Doguwa explained that the search led them to the Utako Police Division, where they were informed about an incident at the Chida Hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel, the party officials identified the body as that of Ginsau. He attributed the incident to alleged negligence by the hotel management. Other delegates had previously raised concerns about the faulty lift at the hotel, but these warnings were reportedly ignored.
The body of Ginsau has since been taken for an autopsy, and the police are conducting an investigation into the matter. Doguwa urged the authorities to be thorough in their inquiry to uncover what transpired.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Utako Division stated that only the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, could provide further details. However, attempts to reach her proved unsuccessful.
A police source at the Utako division confirmed that the incident occurred at Chida Hotels and was reported at the division. The source mentioned that the hotel management reported the incident on Saturday, March 28, and that the matter is currently under investigation. The ongoing autopsy is part of the investigation, and the division is actively working on it.
Hotel Management’s Response
When contacted, the Manager of Chida Hotel, Princess Oluchi, stated that the management would not comment on the matter as it is under police investigation. However, a source at the hotel provided some insights into the events leading up to the incident.
According to the source, 150 rooms at the hotel were booked for APC delegates from Kano State. However, over 1,000 delegates actually arrived, overwhelming the facilities. Some delegates occupied the premises and even areas outside the hotel. Despite the management raising concerns about the large number of attendees, there was resistance from coordinators who insisted the hotel was fully booked.
On the incident, the source said one of the hotel’s elevators malfunctioned and was forced open. The deceased, who was staying on the third floor, entered the faulty elevator in the early hours of Friday. The elevator sank with him inside, unknown to the hotel’s management.
All the delegates who stayed at the hotel left for the convention ground without knowing that something had happened. It was the following day that the hotel started noticing an offensive odor, leading to a search that uncovered the remains of the deceased.
Calls for Investigation
The Kano State chapter of the APC has called for an investigation into the incident. Auwal Soja Sani Mainagge, the state secretary of the party, stated that Ginsau had traveled to Abuja in good health but was later found dead. He emphasized that the party delegation had arrived together, and Ginsau was with them in Abuja but did not attend the event.
Mainagge disclosed that the party had contacted the family of the deceased and formed a committee at the state level to investigate the incident in collaboration with security agencies. He added that the Kano State Government had also reached out to the family and was working to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death.
Speaking on behalf of the family, a guardian to the deceased, Hamza Haladu, described the development as shocking. He noted that the lawyer was full of life before his trip and that the news of his death came as a complete surprise. Haladu mentioned that the state government had intervened, with the governor assuring the family that no stone would be left unturned in determining the cause of death.
Ginsau, a prominent lawyer, corporate executive, and party stalwart, was recently elected as APC Organising Secretary in Kano State. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Ginsau and Sons and practiced law with Ginsau and Co. Advocates. He was widely respected for his expertise in corporate and commercial law.
He also held a litigation role with H.H. Karkasara and Co., where he specialized in property, tax, and intellectual property cases. Educated at the Islamic University in Uganda and the Nigerian Law School in Abuja, Ginsau built a career that spanned business leadership and legal advocacy.
His areas of practice included labor law, corporate advisory, estate litigation, and family law. Within the APC, he was regarded as a chieftain whose influence extended beyond the courtroom into political strategy and governance. He was survived by two wives and two children.
