N423bn theft: Court adjourns El-Rufai’s suit against Kaduna assembly till July 17
A Federal High Court in Kaduna on Monday adjourned till July 17, 2024, for hearing a suit instituted by the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, against the state House of Assembly and the state Attorney General.
PUNCH Online reports that El-Rufai had urged the court to quash the report of the state House of Assembly indicting him of N423bn theft.
In a suit filed by his lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, the former governor had said the assembly breached his right to a fair hearing by not inviting him in the course of the probe.
He is urging the court to declare the report of the assembly’s ad hoc committee null and void.
However, at the Monday commencement of the hearing, counsel for the first respondent, the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Sani Katu, SAN, informed the court that they were in the process of filing a notice of preliminary objection, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
Sani, therefore, requested an extension of time to enable them to file all their applications on the case.
The plea was also advanced by the state Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Sule Shauaibu, SAN, who is a defendant in the case.
On his part, counsel for the applicant, Sule Umoru, did not oppose the application for the extension of time.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice R.M Aikawa, after listening to all the submissions made by the counsel, adjourned the case till July 17, 2024, to enable the respondents to file all their applications, including the substantive application.
The ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans, and contracts awarded under El-Rufai had on June 5, 2024, indicted the ex-governor and some of his appointees of siphoning N423bn state funds.
The Assembly, while adopting the report of the 13-man panel, asked the incumbent Governor, Uba Sani, to refer El-Rufai, his Commissioner for Finance, and other aides to relevant security agencies for investigation.
The assembly had in April set up the 13-man panel, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Henry Danjuma, to probe El-Rufai’s administration.
The probe by the assembly came weeks after the incumbent governor, Sani, lamented that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.
Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of $587m, N85bn, and 115 Contractual Liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.”
