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Lamido
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 1 for the fresh arraignment of a former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, alongside his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, over an alleged N1.35bn money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The arraignment will also involve two companies linked to the family, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
The trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, fixed the date on Friday after the defendants were absent in court to take their plea.
The defendants’ counsel, Joe Agi (SAN), apologised to the court for their absence, explaining that notice of the proceedings reached them late on Thursday.P 378) reviews:
Agi told the court that Lamido and his sons reside in Kano and could not travel to Abuja at short notice.
He, however, undertook to produce the defendants in court on the adjourned date to face the charges.
Counsel for the EFCC, Chile Okoroma (SAN), expressed surprise that the defendants were not present 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, however, noted that the request contained in the EFCC’s letter was an administrative issue for the Chief Judge to decide.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter until April 1 for arraignment.
PUNCH Online reports that the EFCC had in 2015 filed a 27-count charge against Lamido, his sons and the two companies, alleging that about N1.35bn was laundered through kickbacks obtained from state government contracts during Lamido’s tenure as governor between 2007 and 2015.
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