Justice Amina Adamu of Kano State High Court 7 has granted a court order to serve National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat, son and four others through substituted means.
In her ruling on Wednesday in Kano, Adamu ordered that the defendants, Ganduje, his wife, son and four other defendants, be served through substituted means, with the publication on the pages of two national newspapers.
Others charged along with Ganduje are Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, Lasage General Enterprises Limited, Abubakar Bawuro, and Jibrilla Muhammad. They were charged with an eight-count of bribery, misappropriation, and division of public funds running into billions of naira.
The case before a Kano High Court 4, sitting at Audu Bako, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, was transferred to Court 7, sitting at Miller Road, presided over by Adamu.
The Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) in the state had dragged Ganduje and others to the court on charges bordering on alleged corruption.
Adamu gave the order following an application by the counsel to the state government, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, who stood in for the lead prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu Esq.
It would be recalled that the sixth respondent counsel, Nureini Jimoh, SAN, had challenged the appearance of the led prosecution counsel, Yau Adamu, on the ground that there was a fiat given to a specific person and only that person could appear.
The lead prosecution counsel informed the court that since his appearance had been challenged, a member of the team, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, will move the application on motion ex-parte.
He stated, “I have my fiat but it is not here with me since I didn’t anticipate this. Since my appearance has been challenged. Barrister Zahradeen Kofar-Mata will move the application on the motion ex-parte.
“My lord, Kofar-Mata has a fiat to appear in any matter concerning financial crime.”
Based on that, Kofa-Mata moved the motion ex-parte dated May 29, supported by a seven paragraph affidavit seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means by publication in two national dailies with wide circulation.
In his response, Jimoh objected to the motion ex-parte seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means.
But Adamu overruled Jimoh and granted the order that Ganduje, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth respondents be served through substituted means on the pages of two national dailies with wide circulation.
Adamu adjourned the case till July 11, 2024, for hearing and ordered all parties involved to present their individual fiat to the court.
Ahmad Sorondinki
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