The Kano State High Court on Wednesday, ordered the substituted service of bribery charges against the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Justice Amina Aliyu directed the prosecution to publish the eight counts filed against Ganduje and his co-defendants in two daily national publications.
The judge issued the decision in response to a motion filed by the state government’s counsel, Zahradeen Kofar Mata, who was filling in for the lead prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu.
Since April, the Kano State Government has filed eight counts of bribery and financial misappropriation against Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat, and their son, Abdullahi.
The allegations also name Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd., Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises as defendants.
The state charged Ganduje with accepting bribes totaling $413,000 and N1.38 billion.
The defendants’ arraignment, which was originally planned for April 17, has been postponed multiple times due to the prosecution’s failure to serve the charges on them.
Nureini Jimoh (SAN), counsel for the sixth defendant and the only one in court, had vigorously opposed the prosecution’s move to serve the charges on the defendants using substituted means.
At the Wednesday hearing, Jimoh questioned Adamu’s appearance as the lead prosecution lawyer.
He claimed that Adamu lacked the authority to prosecute the case and that he lacked the legal standing to file the application for substituted service.
Adamu conceded Jimoh’s argument and gave the floor to another member of the prosecution team, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, to move the substituted service application.
“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,” Adama said.
Justice Aliyu upheld the proposal, and Kofar-Mata made the motion ex parte on May 29, 2024, accompanied by a seven-paragraph affidavit.
