A Kano State High Court has dismissed an application by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear his ongoing trial.
Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and several others are facing an 11-count charge brought by the Kano State Government.
The charges, filed on May 13, 2024, include bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
Others charged alongside Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
Delivering her ruling on Tuesday, May 13, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu struck out the various preliminary objections filed by the defendants, describing them as “incompetent” and citing relevant legal authorities.
She ruled that, “the charges filed on May 13, 2024, against the defendants were competent to be tried,” and directed that the trial proceed in the absence of the defendants.
The judge also issued a summon to the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the case to July 30 and 31, 2025 for hearing.
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Earlier, Mrs Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo, counsel to Ganduje, his wife, and Umar, had filed a preliminary objection dated November 18, 2024, urging the court to quash the charges and arguing that it lacked jurisdiction.
Counsel to the state, Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, in his reply dated October 22, 2024, countered the objections and asked the court to dismiss them for lacking merit.
Other defence counsels also filed similar motions on jurisdiction.
Mr M. N. Duru, SAN, representing the 3rd and 7th defendants, filed a motion dated October 18, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit and written address. “We urge the court to grant the application as prayed,” Duru said.
Mr Muhammad Shehu, for the 5th defendant, filed a similar motion also dated October 18, 2024, asking for substantial costs against the complainant.
Mr Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the 6th respondent, filed his preliminary objection on September 9, 2024, while Mr Faruk Asekome, representing the 8th defendant, submitted his motion on October 18, 2024. Both urged the court to uphold their applications.
Despite the various arguments, the judge ruled that the trial would proceed as scheduled.