Kano Court adjourns Ganduje’s trial over alleged misappropriation of funds to April 15

A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15, 2026, the trial of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and seven other defendants over allegations of misappropriating public funds.

Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and son Abdullahi Umar face an 11-count charge including bribery, conspiracy, and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira. Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution indicated readiness to proceed, referencing a motion filed on November 24, 2025, seeking permission to file additional evidence.

However, several defence lawyers pointed to pending applications and motions that must be resolved before the trial could continue. These included requests for a stay of proceedings, preliminary objections, and extension of time to respond on points of law.

Presiding judge Amina Adamu-Aliyu subsequently adjourned the case for hearing of all pending applications and objections.

The trial has faced repeated delays. The Kano High Court had previously affirmed its jurisdiction after dismissing defence objections, which were later challenged at the Court of Appeal. In October 2025, the appellate court struck out the appeal due to improper transmission of the record of appeal.