Details have emerged surrounding the tragic death of Abdulsalami Ginsau, the Assistant Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, who died at Chida Hotels under controversial circumstances.
Reports indicate that Ginsau, a lawyer and party stalwart, died on Friday, March 27, after he was allegedly trapped in a faulty elevator at the hotel located in the Utako District.
The Kano State Chairman of the APC, Umar Haruna Doguwa, said the deceased had travelled to Abuja ahead of the party’s convention to coordinate accommodation for delegates from the state.
According to him, Ginsau successfully arranged lodging for the delegates before checking into the hotel himself.
Doguwa explained that concern arose when the party official could not be located during the convention, which prompted a frantic search across the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the party delegation later reported the matter at the Nigeria Police Force station at the Utako Police Division, where they were informed of an incident at the hotel.
“Upon getting to the hotel, they identified the body to be that of the deceased party chieftain,” Doguwa said, attributing the incident to alleged negligence by the hotel management.
He added that some delegates had earlier raised concerns about a faulty lift in the facility.
When contacted, the police confirmed that the incident had been reported and was under investigation.
“Chida Hotels came to report that there was an incident and we are investigating it. The ongoing autopsy is part of the investigation. The division is actively investigating the matter,” a source at the Utako division said.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the Federal Capital Territory Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful as calls were not returned.
The management of Chida Hotels declined to comment on the incident. The hotel manager, Princess Oluchi, said the matter was under police investigation and the management would not issue any statement for now.
However, a source within the hotel provided further insight into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
According to the source, about 150 rooms had been booked for APC delegates from Kano State, but more than 1,000 persons reportedly showed up, placing pressure on the hotel’s facilities.
The source added that despite concerns raised by the management, coordinators insisted that the bookings were sufficient.
On the incident itself, the source said one of the elevators malfunctioned and was later forcefully opened.
It was gathered that Ginsau, who was lodged on the third floor, unknowingly entered the faulty elevator in the early hours of Friday.
“The elevator sank with him in it, unknown to the hotel’s management,” the source said.
The situation reportedly went unnoticed until the following day when an offensive odour prompted a search, which led to the discovery of his remains.
The Kano State chapter of the APC has since called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
The party’s state secretary, Auwal Soja Sani Mainagge, described the death as shocking.
“He was with us in Abuja and was in good condition, but he did not attend the event we went for. That was when we started searching for him, and he was later found dead,” he said.
Mainagge disclosed that the party had set up a committee to investigate the incident in collaboration with security agencies, while the Kano State Government had also contacted the family.
Speaking on behalf of the family, a guardian to the deceased, Hamza Haladu, said the news of Ginsau’s death came as a devastating shock.
“He was a very healthy and energetic person when he travelled. The news of his death came as a complete shock to us,” he said.
Haladu added that the state governor had assured the family that no stone would be left unturned in uncovering the cause of death.
He also disclosed that Ginsau would be buried on Thursday in Kano in accordance with Islamic rites.
Ginsau was a prominent lawyer, corporate executive, and political figure in Kano State. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Ginsau & Sons and practised law with Ginsau & Co. Advocates, gaining recognition for his work in corporate and commercial law.
He also worked with H.H. Karkasara & Co., where he specialised in property, tax, and intellectual property litigation.
An alumnus of the Islamic University in Uganda and the Nigerian Law School in Abuja, Ginsau built a career that combined legal practice with political engagement.
Within the APC, he was regarded as an influential figure whose contributions extended beyond legal advocacy to party organisation and governance.
He is survived by two wives and two children.
