A Kano High Court has scheduled April 17, 2024, as the date for the arraignment of the former Governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his wife, and six others.
The accused individuals are facing eight-count charges related to allegations of dollar bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, including alleged bribery totaling $413,000 and N1.38 billion, among other accusations.
In the writ of summons seen by our reporter, the other respondents in the suit include Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.
The Kano State Government, in the criminal suit against the eight respondents, has indicated that it has lined up 15 witnesses to testify in court.
The case is set to be heard before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.
The State Attorney General, Haruna Isah Dederi, has confirmed the development, stating that all parties involved will be duly served.
Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the State, Haruna Isah Dederi, affirmed to our reporter that Ganduje, his wife, and the six others will indeed be arraigned on the specified date.
He said, “It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not but he will definitely be served.
“What he (Ganduje) doesn’t understand is that you cannot run away from the evil day, it will definitely come to you and this will even serve as a deterrence to all of us that are also in government now.
“He was saying that we can’t prosecute him forgetting that the offense also falls under the category of the state offenses. It’s not totally a Federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that.”