By Peter Omopo
A Kano State High Court on Tuesday rejected an application by former Governor of Kano State and current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, seeking to stop his prosecution in an alleged bribery and corruption case.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, son Umar, and five others, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the 11-count charge brought against them by the Kano State Government.
The charges involve alleged bribery totalling $413,000 and the misappropriation of N1.38 billion. Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
In her ruling, Justice Adamu-Aliyu described the objections raised by the defence as “incompetent and lacking merit,” affirming that the charges filed on May 13, 2024, were properly instituted and the court had jurisdiction to proceed.
She also issued a summons to Lamash Properties Limited, the sixth defendant, and adjourned the matter to July 30 and 31, 2025, for trial.
Ganduje and his co-defendants, represented by counsel Lydia Oyewo, had filed the motion dated November 18, 2024, urging the court to quash the charges entirely—a plea the court has now overruled.
