KANO: On Tuesday, a Kano State High Court dismissed a motion filed by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje , the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the court’s jurisdiction over an 11-count corruption case against him and seven others.
Presiding Judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, ruled that the preliminary objections submitted by Ganduje, a former governor of Kano, and his co-defendants were incompetent and without merit.
She affirmed that the court has the authority to hear the charges, which include allegations of bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and the diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
“The charges before this court are competent, Justice Aliyu said. The authority to investigate criminal matters is not exclusive to the police. The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission is also legally empowered to do so.”
She further stressed that the trial would continue regardless of the presence or absence of Ganduje and the other defendants.
Additionally, the court summoned the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the proceedings to July 30 and 31 for hearing.
The accused include Ganduje’s wife, Professor Hafsat Umar, and several other individuals and companies: Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Safari Textiles Limited, Lasage General Enterprises Limited, and Lamash Properties Limited.
Responding to the defense’s objections, lead counsel for the state, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to dismiss all applications, labeling them as “deliberate attempts to obstruct the trial.
We argued that these objections are legally baseless and called on the court to ensure justice is served, Adedipe stated.
Ganduje’s legal team, led by Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo, filed a preliminary objection on November 18, 2024, seeking to dismiss the charges and halt the trial, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Similar motions were filed between September and October 2024 by lawyers representing the third, fifth, sixth, and eighth defendants, Chief M. N. Duru, SAN, Mr. Muhammad Shehu, Mr. Abubakar Ahmad, and Mr. Faruk Asekome, each contesting the validity of the charges and the court’s authority.
Despite these challenges, Justice Aliyu concluded: None of the applications have merit. The case must proceed under due process.
