S’Court orders continuation of Lamido, sons N1.35bn trial

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the continuation of the N1.35bn corruption trial of a former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Mustapha and Aminu, overturning a Court of Appeal judgment that had freed them.

In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and set aside the July 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court held that the EFCC’s appeal was meritorious and directed that Lamido and his sons return to the Federal High Court, Abuja, to open their defence in the case.

Lamido, his sons, Aminu Wada Abubakar, and their companies—Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited—are standing trial before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court on a 37-count amended charge bordering on money laundering and abuse of office.

The EFCC alleged that Lamido, who governed Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, laundered N1.35bn in kickbacks from contractors handling state government projects.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

Justice Ojukwu dismissed the application and held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant the defendants entering their defence.

However, the Court of Appeal, in July 2023, overturned the ruling and struck out the charges, a decision that prompted the EFCC to approach the Supreme Court.

The anti-graft agency argued that the appellate court erred in law by discharging the defendants despite what it described as overwhelming evidence linking them to the alleged offences.

In its judgment on Friday, the Supreme Court ordered that the charges be restored and directed the Federal High Court to proceed with the trial for Lamido and the other defendants to defend themselves.