The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a ₦1.3 billion corruption allegation against former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a new arraignment for April 1.
Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, who are charged with taking part in the alleged fraud through bogus contract awards, are scheduled to be arraigned.
Following the defendants’ absence from court, Justice Peter Odo Lifu set the date for Friday.
The Lamidos’ attorney, Joe Agi (SAN), apologized to the court for their absence even though the new arraignment was set for Friday.
The senior attorney clarified that late on Thursday night, the defendants were informed about the trial.
He claims that the former governor and his sons live in Kano and couldn’t get to Abuja in time.
After that, Agi promised the court that he will present the defendants on the following postponed date.
Chile Okoroma (SAN), the EFCC’s attorney, told the court that he was shocked the defendants did not show up even after receiving a notice of hearing.
Okoroma further said that the anti-graft agency had written to Justice John Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, asking that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the original trial judge who had been relocated to Calabar, be brought back to Abuja to complete the case.
In response, Justice Lifu stated that the Chief Judge would decide on the administrative matter pertaining to the previous trial judge.
After then, he postponed the case until April 1 so that the defendants might enter a plea.
In 2015, the Federal High Court in Abuja heard a 27-count accusation of money laundering involving around ₦1.3 billion from the EFCC against Lamido, his two sons, and their businesses.
The offenses were allegedly committed between 2007 and 2015 while Lamido was the governor of Jigawa State, according to the anti-graft agency.
The commission claims that Lamido misused his position by laundering money purportedly obtained as kickbacks from state government contracts.
Bamaina Holdings Ltd. and Speeds International Ltd. are the other defendants in the case, aside from the Lamidos.
Before concluding its case, the EFCC called over sixteen witnesses during the trial.
The defendants, however, submitted a no-case submission, claiming that there was insufficient evidence from the prosecution to support their opening defense.
In November 2022, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ordered the accused to present their defense after dismissing the application.
After Lamido and the other defendants appealed the decision, the Court of Appeal confirmed their no-case submission in July 2023, finding that the Federal High Court in Abuja had territorial jurisdiction to hear the case.
According to the appellate court, the trial should have taken place in Jigawa State, where the alleged offenses took place.
In August 2023, the EFCC petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the decision because they were unhappy with it.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling that released Lamido and his kids was overturned by the Supreme Court in a ruling issued on January 16, 2026.
In a unanimous ruling led by Justice Abubakar Umar, the five-member Supreme Court panel concluded that the defendants had a case to answer.
As a result, the court mandated that the case be sent back to the Federal High Court so that the trial may continue.
