By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

A High court of justice sitting in Kafanchan,Kaduna State has ordered the return of an appeal filed by a former Governorship aspirant,Alhaji Sani Sha’aban against Umar Farukh Abdullahi to the High court in Dogarawa, Zaria, Kaduna state.

The Upper Sharia court had in its judgment directed Sha’aban to pay back N11.2 million and $734,000 he borrowed from one Umar Farukh Abdullahi .Sani Sha’aban who was however, dissatisfied with the judgment, appealed the judgement at the High Court, Dogarawa, Zaria.

However, due to congestion of cases , he requested that the case be transfered to Kafanchan which the judge, Justice Mannir Ladan granted.

But when the case came up in Kafanchan,the court ordered that the case be returned back to ,Zaria for continued hearing of the appeal .

Justice Darius Kobbo in his ruling, stated that the jurisdiction of the case is in Zaria not Kafanchan.He said the court lacks the powers to hear the appeal, adjourned the case to 5th May,2025 and directed the parties to return to High Court Dogarawa, Zaria.

Recall that the Kaduna State High court of Justice in Zaria had earlier adjourned the hearing for an appeal by the former Kaduna state gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Sani Sha’aban against the verdict of the Upper Sharia Court at Zaria GRA,which directed him to pay back N11.2 million and $734,000 he borrowed from the claimant ,Umar Farukh Abdullahi when he was in Dubai, or his property be sold to settle the debt.

The adjournment was granted by the Judge, Mannir Ladan on Tuesday, 3rd February, 2024 following a request from the claimant’s lawyer.

In his final judgement , the Judge told Counsel Nasir Sa’id that his client, Sani Sha’aban should pay back the debt as he collected,with no interest under the Islamic law, or he sells some of his Zaria-Kano properties to settle the debt based on the initial agreement between them.

Sha’aban however, appealed against the judgment.

During the hearing of the appeal on the 3rd of February, 2025 at the Kaduna state High Court of Justice Dogarawa Zaria , the claimant’s lawyer ,Abdullahi Yahaya requested for the adjournment of the case to the next session at Kafanchan because Kaduna was said to be congested and the claimant needed his money without further delay,which the Judge, Mannir Ladan granted.