A Kano State High Court has affirmed the authority of the legal team representing the state government in its ongoing ₦4.49 billion suit against former governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and others.
The case, filed on October 13, 2025, centres on allegations that Ganduje, his two sons, and several associates mismanaged public funds and unlawfully took control of Kano State’s 20 percent equity in the Dala Inland Dry Port project. The government is seeking to recover the alleged ₦4.49 billion and reclaim its stake in the project.
At Tuesday’s sitting, held at High Court No. 2 within the Audu Bako Secretariat and presided over by Justice Muhammad Yusuf Ubale, the court delivered a ruling on a pending application concerning the legitimacy of the prosecution team.
SolaceBase reports that the issue, raised during the previous adjournment questioned whether the prosecuting counsel had a valid fiat from the Attorney General to represent the state. In his ruling, Justice Ubale confirmed that all counsel listed in the fiat are duly authorised to handle the matter on behalf of the Kano State Government.
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Following the ruling, prosecuting counsel, Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, described the decision as favourable, noting that the court had settled the dispute over representation.
He stated that the issue of fiat raised by the defence was unnecessary, arguing that such matters typically fall within the purview of the Attorney General. According to him, the court, in its wisdom, considered the arguments and affirmed that the legal team was properly constituted.
Magaji added that multiple applications filed by the defence are still pending, but proceedings could not continue as the defence indicated it was not ready to move forward.
Counsel to one of the defendants, Muhammad Kabir Abdallah, who represents Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro, confirmed that the defence requested an adjournment due to lack of readiness to proceed with the pending applications.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to June 24, 2026, for hearing of the outstanding applications. Justice Ubale also directed that there should be no further delays in the case.
The suit involves several defendants, including Ganduje’s sons, Umar Abdullahi Umar and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar, as well as former officials and associates linked to the Dala Inland Dry Port Limited. The state government alleges that public assets were unlawfully transferred under the guise of investment partnerships during the previous administration.
