Justice S. C. Oriji granted the adjournment after the defence lawyer for the second defendant, Bello Yero, announced his immediate withdrawal from the case during Thursday’s proceedings.

The lawyer, Samuel Fagade, informed the court of his decision, stating that his client was aware of the move and had already begun arrangements to secure a new counsel.

Ishaku and Yero, a former permanent secretary in the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 15-count charge involving alleged criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and the diversion of about N27 billion in public funds.

The trial was expected to continue with testimony from the prosecution’s third witness, Taiwo Johns, but proceedings were halted due to the development in the defence team.

Yero personally appealed to the court for more time to obtain legal representation, saying he currently has no lawyer and requesting an adjournment of four to six weeks.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, did not object to the adjournment but questioned the timing of the withdrawal, noting that the defence counsel had been present at the previous sitting without giving the required prior notice.

He also suggested inconsistencies in the defence team’s conduct, claiming that a lawyer who initially accompanied the second defendant later withdrew his appearance.

However, the said lawyer later clarified to the court that discussions had taken place but no formal engagement had been concluded.

Justice Oriji thereafter approved the withdrawal of counsel and adjourned the case to June 15, 2026, while also fixing July 2, 7, 13, 14, and 15, 2026, for continuation of the trial.

Dr. Karanveer Singh, Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, made this known at a media dialogue on strengthening early childhood education in Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina, held in Dutse.

He disclosed that only about 24 per cent of children in Jigawa State have access to ECE, compared to 29 per cent in Kano and 32 per cent in Katsina.

Dr. Singh described the figures as worrying, noting that most children in the region are missing out on the crucial early learning stage that supports cognitive, emotional, and social development.

He explained that children without access to quality early education often begin primary school at a disadvantage and struggle to catch up, contributing to the rising number of out-of-school children in the region.

He also revealed that foundational literacy levels remain below 15 per cent in some areas, meaning many children cannot read at a basic level.

According to him, the situation is driven by low parental awareness, shortage of trained teachers, poor infrastructure, and lack of learning materials, all of which hinder the expansion of early childhood education.

Despite the challenges, he stressed that the situation can be improved with stronger political will and increased investment from state governments.

He urged authorities in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa to prioritise early childhood education by increasing funding, recruiting qualified caregivers, and expanding access to child-friendly learning centres.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Mustapha Shehu, also noted that data from MICS 2022 shows that only 37.8 per cent of Nigerian children aged three to four are enrolled in early childhood education.

He highlighted wide inequality, stating that 75 per cent of children from the richest households attend early learning programmes, compared to just 11 per cent from the poorest households.

Education consultant Dr. Sunday Jacob added that Nigeria currently has about 18.3 million out-of-school children, with Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina accounting for 30 per cent of that number.

He emphasised that investing in early childhood education is key to reducing the crisis, noting that it supports up to 90 per cent of brain development in early life.

He further recommended that states establish dedicated budget allocations for early childhood education.

In response, Commissioners for Basic Education from Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa pledged to prioritise funding for early childhood education and ensure timely release of resources to strengthen the education sector.