The corruption case involving the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others has been transferred to a different court by the Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Abdu Aboki. Previously under the jurisdiction of Kano High Court number 4, presided over by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, the case will now be heard by Justice Amina Adamu at Court 7, located on Miller Road.
Confirming the transfer, the court’s spokesman Baba Jibo Ibrahim stated, “The office of the CJ of the state has the power to direct and transfer a case at any stage so far it has not reached the level of judgement.”
The defendants, including Ganduje, his wife, son, and five others, face eight counts of alleged bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds amounting to billions of naira. Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises are among the other defendants.
The Kano State Government has assembled 15 witnesses to testify against the defendants. At the last hearing on April 29, 2024, the court was set to rule on a motion for substituted service, but the defendants had not yet been served.
The charges against Ganduje span various alleged corrupt activities, including receiving $200,000 from a contractor in exchange for government contracts and collecting an additional $213,000 as a kickback from the Kantin Kwari textile market remodelling project.
Furthermore, Ganduje, his spouse Hafsat Umar, and businessman Abubakar Bawuro are accused of conspiring to convert N1.376 billion earmarked for health sector supplies, allegedly diverted through Safari Textiles Ltd.
Additional charges involve Ganduje’s alleged misappropriation of plots of land at Zawachiki layout and the conversion of state government property, the Kano Cotton Ginnery, at a significantly undervalued price.
Ibrahim reiterated the judiciary’s commitment to justice and transparency in handling the case, stating, “The judiciary will ensure a fair trial and uphold the rule of law throughout the proceedings.”
A date is yet to be set by the new court for the next hearing.
