Court clears Kano Deputy Governor nominee, throws out corruption case
A High Court in Kano State has dismissed corruption charges against former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo, and five others, saying the case was built on a flawed investigation and lacked proper legal backing.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji at High Court No. 15 on Miller Road, bringing to an end the case marked K/133c/2024.
The case had been filed by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission against Garo and other defendants, including Mohd Sule Garo, Mustapha Sule Garo, Isah Musa Kera, MJ Multipurpose Services Ltd., and A.U. Future Investment Ltd.
In its decision, the court focused on two key questions; whether a prosecution can go ahead without proper investigation, and whether the commission has the legal authority to handle corruption cases.
On the first issue, the judge ruled clearly that no one can be prosecuted without an investigation. He stressed that investigation is a basic requirement in any criminal case.
“It is impossible to prosecute anybody for any crime without first conducting some form of investigation however slight,” the judge said, referring to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019.
The court concluded that the prosecution failed to meet this basic legal standard and ruled in favour of the defendants.
On the second issue, the judge examined whether the commission has the power to investigate corruption cases. Based on previous court decisions, he ruled that such powers fall under federal law, not state authorities.
“I hold that the complainant herein cannot investigate any issue that borders on corruption or corrupt practices,” the judge stated in the certified judgment dated February 4, 2026.
As a result, the court struck out the charges and discharged all the defendants.
The ruling comes amid growing political activity in Kano, where members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have recently put forward Garo as a top contender for the deputy governorship position following the resignation of Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo.
Court clears Kano Deputy Governor nominee, throws out corruption case
