SUPREME COURT ORDERS FRESH ARRAIGNMENT OF SULE LAMIDO AND SONS OVER N1.3BN CORRUPTION CASE
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a fresh arraignment for former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido on April 1, over a ₦1.3 billion corruption case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Lamido is set to be arraigned alongside his two sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, who are accused of participating in the alleged fraud through fictitious contract awards.
The new date was fixed on Friday after the former governor and his sons failed to appear in court to enter their plea.
Although the arraignment was initially set for Friday, the Lamidos’ lawyer, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, apologised for their absence, explaining that they received notice of the trial only on Thursday evening. He said the former governor and his children, who reside in Kano, could not attend due to the distance and the late notice. Agi assured the court that the defendants would be produced on the adjourned date.
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EFCC counsel, Mr. Chile Okoroma, SAN, expressed surprise at their absence, noting that the defendants had been properly served with the trial notice. He added that EFCC had requested the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to recall the initial trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who had been transferred to Calabar, to continue the trial.
Justice Lifu stated that the matter of EFCC’s request was administrative and would be addressed by the Chief Judge, but still set April 1 for arraignment.
The case dates back to 2015, when EFCC charged Lamido, his sons, and their companies—Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd—with 27 counts of money laundering involving ₦1.3 billion, allegedly misappropriated during Lamido’s tenure as governor between 2007 and 2015. EFCC claimed Lamido abused his office by laundering kickbacks from state contracts.
After calling over 16 witnesses, EFCC closed its case, but the defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence. Trial judge Ojukwu dismissed the submission in November 2022 and ordered them to enter their defence.
Lamido appealed the ruling, and 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 should have taken place in Jigawa State.
EFCC subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which on January 16, 2026, overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision, ruling unanimously that the Lamidos had a case to answer. The apex court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Abubakar Umar, ordered the trial to continue at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
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