A Kano State High Court has dismissed a motion filed by the immediate-past governor of the State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the bribery and corruption case instituted against him and several others.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, while ruling on the matter, described the preliminary objections raised by the defense counsels as “incompetent”, and affirmed that the charges brought by the Kano State Government against the accused were valid and within the court’s jurisdiction.
The former governor, alongside his wife, Prof. Hafsat Umar, and six others, were facing 11-count charge bordering on alleged bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
Others charged with the former first couple included Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
In her ruling, Justice Adamu-Aliyu held that the case was properly instituted and should proceed to full trial. She further ordered that the trial will continue in the absence of Ganduje, who is now the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and six other defendants, while a summon was issued to Lamash Properties Limited, the sixth defendant.
Earlier, counsel to Ganduje’s wife and Umar, Mrs Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo, had filed a preliminary objection dated November 18, 2024, urging the court to quash the charges and rule that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case. Similar objections were filed by other defence counsels representing the remaining defendants.
However, the prosecution counsel, Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, countered the motions, insisting that the objections lacked merit and urged the court to dismiss them in the interest of justice.
The matter has been adjourned to July 30 and 31, 2025, for hearing.
