Just as one of his sons forfeits $40,000 to FG
Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and Sons who are challenging their criminal trial over an alleged N1.35bn fraud lost the legal battle on Friday as the Supreme Court ordered them to open their defense at the trial court.
Supreme Court also dismissed an appeal brought by one of his sons Aminu Sule Lamido who had challenged the forfeiture of his undeclared $40,000 at Aminu Kano International Airport.
In a trial that has lasted for a decade, Apex Court ordered that the trial of former Jigawa Governor, Sule Lamido, his two sons, and others, over the alleged ₦1.35billion fraud, should continue at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
A five-member panel of the apex court issued the order in two judgments, in the two appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They upheld the decision of the trial court, which dismissed the no-case submission filed by the Lamidos and held that the defendants had a case to answer .
Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023, judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In the lead judgments of the Supreme Court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions by Lamido and others and ordered them to enter their defence.
Recall that the prosecuting agency – EFCC had in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of abusing his position as a governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his leadership.
The other defendants charged alongside Lamido are his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
In Aminu Sule Lamido forfeiture appeal case the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.
The former Governor Son the son, Aminu had challenged the decision of the trial court, which convicted him for failing to declare $40,000 at an airport.
In a unanimous decision, the five panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal lodged by Aminu Sule Lamido
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.
The prosecution said Aminu declared $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but was found with an additional $40,000, which was not disclosed on his currency declaration form.
The EFCC charged him before the Federal High Court in Kano on a one-count offence of false declaration of foreign currency, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
On July 12, 2015, the court convicted Aminu and ordered him to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared sum to the Federal Government.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aminu approached the Court of Appeal in Kaduna to overturn the conviction and set aside the forfeiture order.
In a judgment delivered on December 7, 2015, however, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
With the apex court judgement on Friday he finally forfeited the money.