A Kano High Court on Thursday granted an application to enter a ‘not guilty plea’ on a former governor of Kano Abdullahi Ganduje, following his refusal to appear before the court and answer corruption charges leveled against him.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that at the last adjourned date, the court granted an application for substituted service on Mr Ganduje, his son Umar, wife Hafsat and four other defendants by publishing the charges in two national dailies.
As the court resumed hearing on Thursday, all the defendants with the exception of 6th defendant, were absent in the court.
In view of their absence, counsel to Kano State Government Adeola Adedipe (SAN) made three applications to enter not guilty plea on behalf of the absentee defendants, set dates for presentation of witnesses and issue a bench warrant for their arrest.
“By Section 278 (1) (2) of the ACJL [Administration of Criminal Justice Law], the court should set a date for presentation of witnesses since the defendants were duly served,” he said.
But counsel to the 6th defendant, Nureini Jomoh (SAN), objected to the applications, and sought the court to hear his preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
He also applied that the court should strike the charges for want of diligent prosecution as the court failed to begin hearing as scheduled on Thursday.
But Kano State Government objected to Mr Jimoh’s argument, saying he lacked right of audience in respect of other defendants.
Ruling on the applications, Justice Amina Adamu refused to grant an application for bench warrant, but allowed application to enter not guilty plea on behalf of the absentee defendants and application to set dates for presentation of witnesses.
The judge ruled that the preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court would be heard alongside the substantive case as provided by Sections 390 and 228 of ACJL.
The court ruled further that Mr Jimoh lacked right to make argument in respect of other defendants but the 6th defendants, and therefore discounternanced the previous submissions he made for other defendants.
She adjourned the case till July 23 and 24 for hearing.
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