The court of appeal in Kano has struck out an appeal filed by Lamash Properties Limited challenging the jurisdiction of a Kano state high court to hear the corruption case involving Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state, and seven others.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, a three-member panel of justices led by Boloukuromo Ugo dismissed the appeal for lack of a valid record of appeal before the court.
“The record of appeal which the appellant claimed to have transmitted to the court was not transmitted, but rather merely compiled,” Ugo held.
“In view of there being no competent record of appeal, the appeal is hereby struck out pursuant to Order 8 Rule 18(2) of the Court of Appeal Rules.”
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The Kano state government had filed an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira against Ganduje; Hafsat, his wife; Umar Abdullahi Umar, his son; and five others.
Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
In May 2025, Amina Adamu-Aliyu, judge of the Kano state high court, dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the defendants challenging the court’s jurisdiction, describing it as “incompetent”.
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She ruled that the charges filed against the former governor and his co-defendants on May 13, 2024, were valid and properly before the court.
Dissatisfied with the decision, the defendants approached the appellate court to contest the ruling, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
However, the appellate court’s decision on Monday effectively ended that challenge, paving the way for the substantive hearing of the corruption case to proceed at the Kano state High court.
The Kano government’s case against Ganduje stems from allegations of bribery and diversion of state funds during his tenure as governor.
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