A Kano State High Court has set November 20, 2024, as the new hearing date for pending applications in the ongoing bribery and misappropriation case involving the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and seven others.
The defendants face an eight-count charge filed by the Kano State Government, accusing them of bribery, misappropriation, and the division of public funds amounting to billions of naira. Among those charged alongside Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, and three corporate entities: Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeola Adedipe, informed the court that they were not prepared to proceed with the case. He noted that one of their witnesses had traveled from Lagos and was present in court. However, Adedipe stated that they had filed a counter-affidavit, but additional preparations were needed.
Similarly, defense counsel representing Ganduje, his wife, and Umar, Offiong Offiong, SAN, also requested an adjournment, stating that they had not been served the preliminary objection and the plaintiff’s counter-affidavit. Counsel for other defendants, including Mr. Taye Falola, Mr. Nureini Jimoh, SAN, Abdul Adamu, SAN, and Faruk Asekome, made similar applications, citing a lack of service of necessary documents.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu stressed the importance of serving all relevant processes and overruled the plaintiff’s motion to proceed with the case. She then adjourned the case to November 20 for the hearing of all pending applications.
The court had previously ruled on July 11 that the trial of the defendants would continue even in their absence, underscoring the significance of the case.
The next hearing is expected to address the numerous procedural issues raised by both the prosecution and defense, potentially paving the way for substantive arguments in the bribery and misappropriation charges against the high-profile defendants.
