A Kano State High Court has assumed jurisdiction in the corruption case against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, after rejecting his application seeking dismissal of multi-billion naira fraud charges filed against him by the Kano State government.
Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, in her ruling on Tuesday, dismissed the preliminary objections filed by Ganduje and seven other defendants, describing them as "incompetent" while citing relevant legal authorities.
The Kano State government had instituted an 11-count charge against Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six others. The charges border on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds reportedly running into billions of naira.
Other accused persons in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, and three companies: Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
In her ruling, Justice Aliyu held that the charges filed on May 13, 2024, against the defendants are competent for trial. She affirmed that investigative powers are not exclusive to the police, noting that "the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption [Commission] 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, while also summoning the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited.
The matter has been adjourned to July 30 and July 31, 2025, for hearing.
This ruling represents a significant development in the corruption allegations against Ganduje, who currently serves as the National Chairman of Nigeria's ruling party while facing serious fraud charges in his home state of Kano.
