A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and his son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds.
Ganduje and the defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
The other defendants in the case are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution informed the court of its readiness to proceed with the trial and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence against the defendants.
However, several defence counsel told the court that there were pending applications that must be resolved before the trial could commence.
Counsel to the defendants, Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Defence Raises Stay of Proceedings, Objections
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, counsel to the third and seventh defendants, also referred the court to a motion dated May 23, 2025.
Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, informed the court that an affidavit had been filed to notify it of an application for stay of proceedings pending before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, said he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, and requested that a date be fixed for hearing.
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Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, told the court he was ready to proceed.
After listening to submissions from all parties, the presiding judge, Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the case to April 15 for hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.
The case has suffered repeated delays due to various legal challenges as the Kano State High Court had earlier affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the matter after dismissing preliminary objections raised by the defence as incompetent.
The defendants subsequently appealed the decision, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction.
In October 2025, the Court of Appeal in Kano struck out the appeal on the grounds that the record of the appeal was not properly transmitted.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
