The Federal High Court Abuja has scheduled April 1 for the fresh arraignment of former Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa State, alongside his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, in connection with an alleged N1.35 billion money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The arraignment will also include two companies linked to the family, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd. The trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, fixed the date after the defendants were absent in court to take their plea on Friday.
The defendants’ counsel, Joe Agi (SAN), apologized for their absence, explaining that notice of the proceedings only reached them late on Thursday. He stated that Lamido and his sons reside in Kano and could not travel to Abuja on short notice but pledged to produce them in court on the adjourned date.
Counsel for the EFCC, Chile Okoroma (SAN), expressed surprise at the absence of the defendants despite being served with the hearing notice. Okoroma also informed the court that the anti graft agency had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, requesting that the initial trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu now posted to Calabar be returned to Abuja to continue handling the matter. Justice Lifu noted that the request is an administrative issue for the Chief Judge to decide and adjourned the matter until April 1.
The EFCC initially filed a 27 count charge against Lamido, his sons, and the two companies in 2015, alleging that about N1.35 billion was laundered through kickbacks from state government contracts during Lamido’s tenure between 2007 and 2015. During the trial, the prosecution called more than 16 witnesses before closing its case.
The defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing the prosecution failed to elish a prima facie case. In November 2022, Justice Ojukwu dismissed the application, ordering the defendants to open their defence. Lamido and the others then approached the Court of Appeal, which in July 2023 ruled that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction, as the alleged offences occurred in Jigawa State.
The EFCC appealed to the Supreme Court, which on January 16, 2026, set aside the Court of Appeal’s judgment and restored the charges against Lamido and his co-defendants in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Abubakar Uma.
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