The trial of Abdullahi Ganduje and seven co-defendants, including his wife, faces delays due to pending applications and service issues.
A Kano State High Court has scheduled November 20, 2024, for the hearing of pending applications in the high-profile case of alleged bribery and misappropriation involving the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and seven others.
The case, which centers on an eight-count charge of bribery, misappropriation, and the diversion of public funds amounting to billions of naira, was instituted by the Kano State government. Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
Court Delays and Pending Applications
At the court session on Wednesday, counsel to the state, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed the court that he was not ready to proceed, citing the absence of one of their witnesses from Lagos. This prompted calls for an adjournment from the defense as well.
Ganduje’s lawyer, Offiong Offiong, SAN, representing Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and Umar Abdullahi Umar, told the court that they had not been served the preliminary objections and counter affidavits. Other defense counsels, including Taye Falola, Abdul Adamu SAN, and Faruk Asekome, echoed similar concerns, requesting additional time to review the necessary documents.
Adjournment to November 20
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, presiding over the case, stressed the importance of proper service of documents to all parties and overruled the plaintiff’s request to proceed without adequate service. The judge adjourned the case to November 20 for the hearing of all pending applications.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on July 11, the court ruled that the trial of the defendants must continue, even in their absence.
