The Kano State High Court has again postponed proceedings in the corruption and misappropriation case involving former Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his wife, Professor Hafsat Ganduje, their son, Abba Ganduje, and six other defendants.
Presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, on Monday adjourned the matter to April 15, 2026, to allow the court to hear preliminary objections and consider all pending applications before it.
It can be recalled that the Kano State Government is prosecuting the defendants on an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds amounting to several billions of naira.
Those listed in the charge include the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Kano, his wife, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, as well as Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
At the resumed sitting, counsel to the state government, Victor Oni, informed the court that the prosecution was prepared to move a motion on notice dated November 2025, seeking the court’s permission to present additional evidence against the defendants.
However,in response, counsel to Ganduje, his wife, and son, Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, told the court that the defence was also ready to argue its motion for stay of proceedings dated July 2025. Counsel representing the third and seventh defendants, Adekunle Taiye-Falola, likewise informed the court of a motion on notice filed on May 23, 2025, which he said was ready to be moved, subject to the court’s convenience.
Similarly, counsel to the sixth defendant, Abubakar Ahmad, disclosed that his client had filed a notice of preliminary objection alongside an application for extension of time to respond on points of law, dated February 2, 2026. He consequently requested an adjournment, arguing that the application was not yet ripe for hearing.
Therefore, after listening to submissions from all parties, Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu adjourned the case to April 15, 2026, for hearing of the preliminary objections and all outstanding applications and the court had earlier reserved ruling on some preliminary objections to a date to be communicated to the parties, while the matter was last adjourned in February to enable the court address all pending applications.
