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A Kano State High Court 7, sitting at Miller Road on Wednesday and presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Adamu, has granted a court order to serve the National Chairman, All Progressive Congress, APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, wife, Hafsat, son, and four others through substituted means.
This was just as the court ruled that those defendants—Ganduje, his wife, son, and others—should be served through substituted means through publication on the pages of two national newspapers
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.
It will be recalled that the Kano State government had dragged Ganduje (1st respondent), his wife, Hafsat (2nd respondent) and others to court on charges bordering on alleged bribery, diversion and misappropriation of funds running into billions of naira.
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.
The state government also dragged Abubakar Bawuro (3rd respondent), Umar Abdullahi Umar (4th respondent), Jibrilla Muhammad (5th), Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises as 7th and 8th respondents, respectively.
However, Justice Amina Adamu gave the order following an application by the counsel to the State government, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, who stood in for the led prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu, Esq.
It will also be recalled that the 6th respondent counsel, Nureini Jimoh SAN, had challenged the appearance of the led prosecution counsel, Yau Adamu Esq., on the ground that there is a fiat given to a specific person and only that person can appear.
However, the lead prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu, informed the court that since his appearance has been challenged, a member of the team, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, will move the application on motion ex parte.
“I have my fiat, but it is not here with me since I didn’t anticipate this. Since my appearance has been challenged, Bar. Zahradeen Kofar-Mata will move the application on the motion exparte. My lord, Kofar-Mata, has a fiate to appear in any matter concerning financial crime. I urge the court to allow us to move this motion.”
Based on that, Barrister Kofa-Mata moved the motion ex parte dated May 29, supported by 7 paragraphs seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means by publishing in two national dailies with wide circulations.
While in his response, Jimoh,SAN objected to the motion, seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means.
But Justice Adamu, however, overruled Jimoh and granted the order that Ganduje, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th respondents be served through substituted means on the pages of two national dailies with wide circulations.
Justice Adamu further adjourned the matter till July 11th, 2024, for a hearing and ordered all parties involved to present their individual fiats to the court.
