“There Will Be Mayhem In Kano If I Issue Bench Warrant Against Ganduje, I Will Try Them In Absentia” – Kano Judge

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

As reported by The Source on Wednesday July 10, the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Gandunje, his wife, and six others, including corporate entities on Thursday July 11, shunned proceedings at a Kano State High Court where they have been charged for corruption charges .

The Kano State Government had, in May 2024, filed corruption  charges against the immediate past Governor of the state ,some members of his family and six others, in a move seen by not a few as “smacking of witch hunt and vendetta.”

The charges were also filed despite an earlier Federal Court ruling which dismissed the matter on the grounds that it borders on issues only the Federal Government and its agencies like the EFCC ,ICPC and the office of the  Attorney General and Miniter of Justice can legally handle.

But rather than appeal the judgement at the Appeallet Court ,the Kano State authorities approached the same Court of equal jurisdiction.

For this, Justice Simon Amobeda of a Federal High Court Kano, on Thursday June 28, in his ruling on  same case chided the Kano State Government, and described its attitude as a flagrant abuse of Court process.

While dismissing the case ,Justice Amobeda ,once again, drew the attention of the Kano State Government to the earlier ruling by the Court.

He wondered why the State Government, instead of approaching the Court of Appeal decided to  bring the issue before a Court of equal jurisdiction..

At the resumed hearing of same matter at a Kano sta3te High Court presided over by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, the Court ruled that the  Respondents ( Dr Ganduje and others) will be tried in absentia.

Justice Aliyu said the Respondents, whom she is aware were served Court papers through substituted means, but who refused to appear before the Court, could be tried in absentia.

The Source reports that the trial judge had, on June 5, following the non- appearance of the Respondents at the co3urt ordered that they be served with all relevant Court papers through substituted means.

The applicant’s  lawyers had, earlier, complained about  the difficulties in serving the Respondents personally.

However, Justice Aliyu dismissed a prayer by the applicant’s legal team led by Adeola Adedayo, SAN,  for an issuance of a bench warrant on Dr Ganduje and others for shunning the Court.

According to her, issuing a bench warrant on the Respondents ,could be capitalized upon by some individuals to unsettle the peace in the already charged atmosphere in  Kano.