A State High Court 7, sitting at Miller Road, has granted an order for substituted service on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, in the alleged sale of government properties worth billions of naira.
The presiding judge, Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu, granted the order after intense legal arguments between counsels of both applicants and defendants, Nuraini Jimoh SAN and Barrister Zaharadeen Kofar Mata, which include Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Ganduje, Lamash Properties, and others.
Recall that the State Chief Judge, Justice Dije Abdu Aboki, had transferred the case of the alleged corruption involving Ganduje and seven others.
The case, which was before a Kano High Court 4 sitting at Audu Bako, presided by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, was transferred to Court 7 sitting at Miller Road, presided by Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu.
Ganduje, his wife, son and five others were charged on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, among others, running into billions of naira.
Aside from Ganduje and family members, other parties in the suit are Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd and Lesage General Enterprises.
The Kano State Government, in the criminal suit filed against the respondents, said it has assembled 15 witnesses to testify against them on the eight-count charge.
However, ruling on the substituted service request by the prosecution counsel, Barrister Zaharadeen Kofar Mata, in today’s sitting, the new presiding judge, Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu, granted the order that Ganduje, his wife, and others should be served through placement in national dailies.
The judge then adjourned the case to July 11th for the counsels to address the court on their evidence of appearances and also for a hearing in continuation.