granted 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 four defendants should be served through substituted means through publication on the pages of two newspapers
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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 the 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 stand in for the led prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu Esq.
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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 led prosecution counsel, Ya’u Adamu, however informed the court that since his appearance have been challenged, a member of the team, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, will move the application on motion exparte.
“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.
He then said”I urge the court to allow us move this motion.”
Based on that Barrister Kofa-Mata, the moved the motion exparte dated May 29, supported by 7 paragraph seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means by publishing in two national dailies with wide circulations.
While in his respond Jimoh,SAN objected the motion exparte seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means.
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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 hearing and ordered all parties involved to present their individual fiat to the court.