The High Court sitting in Kano has declined an application by the state government to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the former governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The request for an arrest warrant was made following the former governor’s failure to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment on Wednesday.
Okay News reports that Ganduje is facing a 10-count charge alongside three other defendants, including his former aide and a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. The charges involve allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and the misappropriation of approximately ₦4.49 billion in public funds connected to the management of the Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.
The prosecution argued that the arrest warrant was necessary because the defendants had willfully stayed away from the proceedings despite being aware of the case. They contended that the court had the power under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kano State to compel their attendance through a bench warrant.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Yusuf Ubale, ruled that issuing an arrest warrant at this stage would be premature. The judge held that certain legal objections raised by the defense must be resolved before the court can consider coercive measures to ensure the defendants’ appearance.
The defense team, led by A.S. Gadanya, SAN, challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the legal papers were not properly served on the former governor. They maintained that the substituted service used by the prosecution was invalid and that the court could not proceed with the arraignment until the issue of service was corrected.
Justice Ubale subsequently adjourned the matter to February 23, 2026, to hear the preliminary objections filed by the defense. Until these jurisdictional issues are settled, the former governor remains on temporary legal relief regarding his attendance in court.
