The Kano State High Court has postponed the high-profile corruption trial involving former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and six other defendants until February 2026, marking another delay in the closely watched case.
Court Proceedings and Adjournment
During Wednesday's court session, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu granted the prosecution's request for additional time to prepare their case, setting the new hearing date for February 3, 2026. The decision came after state counsel Jedidiah Akpata informed the court that the prosecution team was not ready to proceed with the trial.
The prosecution filed a motion for extension of time to respond to the defendants' motion for a stay of proceedings and to address a preliminary objection raised by the sixth defendant in the case.
Defense Ready to Proceed
In contrast to the prosecution's position, the defense teams expressed their readiness to move forward with the trial immediately. Mrs Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, representing Ganduje, his wife, and their son, stated clearly: "My Lord, we are ready. We are not opposing the prosecution's motion for extension of time."
Other defense counsel, including Chief M. N. Duru (SAN) representing the 3rd and 7th defendants, along with lawyers for the 5th, 6th, and 8th defendants, all confirmed their preparedness to proceed with the case.
Charges and Defendants
The Kano state government has filed an 11-count charge against the defendants, alleging serious financial crimes including:
- Bribery and corruption
- Criminal conspiracy
- Misappropriation of public funds
- Diversion of billions of naira
The other defendants named in the case include:
- Abubakar Bawuro
- Umar Abdullahi Umar
- Jibrilla Muhammad
- Lamash Properties Ltd
- Safari Textiles Ltd
- Lasage General Enterprises Ltd
The court noted that this is not the first adjournment in the case, as the trial has faced multiple delays for similar reasons since its inception.
