Sule Lamido, Sons’ Fresh Arraignment In Alleged N1.3bn Fraud Case Stalled

The fresh arraignment of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged N1.3 billion corruption charges has again been stalled, Daily Trust reports.

Lamido, alongside his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, is facing trial over allegations of fraud said to have been carried out through fictitious contracts.

The trio was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday (April 1), but proceedings could not go ahead despite their presence in court.

The charges were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Peter Lifu.

Checks revealed that a previous arraignment scheduled for March 13 was also stalled due to the late service of trial notices on the defendants.

The EFCC had in 2015 arraigned Lamido, his sons, and their companies—Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd—on a 27-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving N1.3 billion said to have been siphoned from the state.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the offences were committed during Lamido’s tenure as governor between 2007 and 2015, accusing him of abusing his office by laundering funds received as kickbacks from state contracts.

After calling more than 17 witnesses and closing its case, the defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not established sufficient evidence requiring them to open their defence.

In November 2022, the trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, dismissed the application and ordered the defendants to enter their defence.

Lamido and the other defendants subsequently appealed the ruling. In July 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the no-case submission, ruling that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction and that the trial ought to have been conducted in Jigawa State.

However, the EFCC approached the Supreme Court in August 2023, seeking to overturn the appellate court’s decision.

On January 16, 2026, the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, holding that the defendants had a case to answer and ordering that the matter be returned to the Federal High Court for continuation of trial.

The apex court further directed that Justice Ojukwu, who had substantially handled the case before her transfer to the Calabar Division, should conclude the trial.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, after the defendants were placed in the dock for their pleas to be taken, EFCC counsel, Chile Okoroma (SAN), objected to a fresh arraignment, arguing that it would contradict the Supreme Court’s directive.

Okoroma informed the court that the commission had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, requesting a fiat to enable Justice Ojukwu return from Calabar to Abuja to continue the trial as ordered.

He urged Justice Lifu to adjourn the matter pending a response from the Chief Judge, noting that proceeding with a fresh arraignment could amount to a violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The defence counsel, Chief Joe Agi (SAN), did not oppose the application.

Consequently, Justice Lifu adjourned the matter to April 30 to await the Chief Judge’s response to the EFCC’s request.