Kano Court Adjourns Ganduje’s Trial Over Alleged Diversion of Public Funds

The trial of former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others over alleged financial misconduct was adjourned on Wednesday after the Kano State High Court fixed October 14 for further proceedings.

Ganduje, alongside his wife, Hafsat Umar, is facing an 11-count charge involving alleged bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.

Also listed as defendants are Abubakar Bawuro, Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, prosecuting counsel, Victor Oni, informed the court that the state was prepared to proceed and sought permission to withdraw an earlier motion filed on March 31, 2026.

He requested that it be replaced with a fresh motion dated May 15, 2026, along with a counter affidavit and written address responding to the sixth defendant’s preliminary objection and application for a stay of proceedings.

Lawyers representing Ganduje, his wife and son, as well as counsel for the third, fifth, seventh and eighth defendants, indicated their readiness to proceed and raised no objections to the prosecution’s application.

However, counsel to the sixth defendant, Abubakar Ahmad, told the court that he had filed a preliminary objection, counter affidavit and written address, and requested a date for the hearing of the application.

Following submissions from both parties, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, struck out the prosecution’s earlier motion dated March 31, 2026.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until October 14 to hear the sixth defendant’s preliminary objection.