Alleged bribery: Court orders substituted service on Ganduje, others
A Kano State High Court on Wednesday granted an order seeking to serve the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, who is charged with alleged bribery and misappropriation of public funds.
The Kano State Government had dragged the former governor, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and his son, Umar Abdullahi, to the court over eight counts of misappropriation and diversion of public funds during his eight-year tenure in office.
Others charged with Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited. They are charged with eight counts of bribery allegations, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
The presiding Judge, Justice Amina Aliyu, gave the order following an application made to that effect by the counsel to the state government, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, who stands in for the led prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu.
Earlier, the 6th respondent counsel, Mr Nureini Jimoh, SAN, had challenged the appearance of the led prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu and his team on the ground that there is a fiat given to a specific person and only that person can appear in this case.
He objected to the motion ex parte seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means.
Ya’u Adamu told the court that since his appearance has been challenged by the 6th respondent counsel, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata will move the application on motion exparte.
”My lord Kofar-Mata has a fiat to appear in any matter concerning financial crime.
“I urge the court to allow us to move this motion,” he said.
Kofar-Mata moved the motion ex parte filed and dated May 29, 2024, supported by seven paragraphs seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means by publishing them in two national daily newspapers.
Aliyu ordered all parties involved should present their fiat to the court and adjourned the matter until July 11, 2024, for a hearing.
