The Federal High Court in Abuja will continue to try former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his two sons, and other defendants in connection with a purported ₦1.35 billion scam, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
In two unanimous rulings issued on Friday in the appeals submitted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Government, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court issued the direction.
On the grounds that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, the appeals contested the July 25, 2023, rulings of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which had sustained Lamido and the other defendants’ no-case submissions and threw down the 37-count indictment.
In the lead rulings, Justice Abubakar Umar upheld the earlier decision of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and overturned the decision of the Appeal Court.
According to Justice Umar, the trial court was correct to force the defendants to present their defense after rejecting the no-case submissions.
The EFCC claims that between 2007 and 2015, Lamido misused his position as governor by allegedly laundering money obtained as kickbacks from businesses given contracts by the Jigawa State Government.
In the 37-count accusation, the anti-graft agency charged the former governor and his co-defendants with several offenses that were close to money laundering.
Lamido’s two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, Aminu Wada Abubakar, and two businesses, Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited, are also charged.
