A State High Court 7, Nigeria has granted an order for substituted service on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, in connection with the alleged sale of government properties worth billions of naira.
The presiding judge, Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu, granted the order following 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, transferred the case of alleged corruption involving Ganduje and seven others from Kano High Court 4 to Court 7 at Miller Road, presided by Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu.
Ganduje, his wife, son, and five others face charges on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, among others, totaling billions of naira. Other parties in the suit include Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.
The Kano State Government, as the plaintiff in the criminal suit, has assembled 15 witnesses to testify against the respondents on the eight-count charge.
In today’s sitting, ruling on the request for substituted service by the prosecution counsel, Barrister Zaharadeen Kofar Mata, Justice Aminu Adamu Aliyu granted the order for Ganduje, his wife, and others to be served through placement in national dailies. The case has been adjourned to July 11th for the counsels to address the court on their evidence of appearances and for a hearing in continuation.
