A Kano State High Court has thrown out a suit by former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and several others seeking to stop their trial over a case involving alleged bribery and misuse of public funds.
The case, which was brought before the court by the Kano State Government, includes 11 charges tied to claims of bribery, conspiracy, and diversion of large sums of public money.
Ganduje’s wife, Hafsat Umar, and others including Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, and three companies—Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited—are also involved in the matter.
The court, led by Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, ruled on the objections filed by the accused persons.
The judge said the objections lacked merit and could not stop the case from moving forward.
She noted that the charges filed by the state on May 13, 2024, were properly brought before the court and can be heard in full.
During the proceedings, several defence lawyers had asked the court to cancel the charges by arguing that the court had no authority to hear the case.
These requests were made in different motions supported by affidavits and written arguments from the lawyers representing the defendants.
They wanted the court to end the case and, in some cases, asked for compensation.
In response, the legal team representing the Kano State Government strongly opposed the requests.
They submitted replies, arguing that the court had every right to hear the case and asking that the applications from the defendants be rejected.
After going through the different arguments, the court ruled that the objections raised by the defence were not strong enough to prevent the trial.
Justice Adamu-Aliyu ordered that the trial would go ahead even if some of the defendants were not present in court.
The judge also ordered that Lamash Properties Limited, one of the accused companies, be summoned to appear in court.
She then adjourned the matter to July 30 and July 31, 2025, for full hearing.
