A Kano State High Court has assumed jurisdiction against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, after rejecting his application for the dismissal of multi-billion naira fraud charges filed against him by the Kano State government.
The court dismissed the application filed by the Ganduje and seven others challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case
The Kano State government had instituted an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira against Ganduje and his wife, Hafsat Umar, and others.
The other accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
The presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, on Tuesday, in her ruling, dismissed the defendants’ preliminary objections, describing them as incompetent and citing relevant legal authorities.
The judge held that the charges filed on May 13, 2024 against the defendants are competent to be tried.
Justice Aliyu affirmed that the power to investigate does not only lie with the police, noting that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption is also empowered to investigate criminal issues.
“The case should proceed to trial even in the absence of Ganduje and six others,”;; the judge ruled.
She also summoned the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the matter to July 30 and July 31 for hearing.
