A Kano State High Court has dismissed a motion filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman and former governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, which sought to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the 11-count corruption charge levelled against him and seven others.
Presiding over the case, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu ruled that the preliminary objections raised by Ganduje and his co-defendants were “incompetent” and without merit. She upheld the court’s authority to hear the case, which includes serious allegations such as bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds amounting to billions of naira.
“The charges before this court are competent,” Justice Aliyu declared, adding that investigative powers are not exclusive to the police, as the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission is also legally empowered to conduct such probes.
Justice Aliyu affirmed that the trial would continue even in the absence of the accused persons and issued a summons to the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited. The case was adjourned to July 30 and 31 for substantive hearing.
The list of defendants includes Ganduje’s wife, Prof. Hafsat Umar, along with Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Safari Textiles Limited, Lasage General Enterprises Limited, and Lamash Properties Limited.
Counsel to the state, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to dismiss all preliminary objections, describing them as tactics aimed at delaying justice. He argued that the objections lacked legal substance and pressed for the case to proceed without further hindrance.
Meanwhile, Ganduje’s legal team, led by Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo, had argued that the charges should be quashed based on jurisdictional grounds, but the court found no merit in the submission. Similar motions from other defendants’ counsels were also overruled.
“The case must proceed in line with due process,” Justice Aliyu concluded.
What you should know
This ruling reinforces the authority of state-level anti-corruption bodies to initiate and pursue high-profile corruption cases. The court’s firm stance suggests that legal technicalities will not derail trials involving alleged public fund mismanagement, even when politically exposed individuals are involved.
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