The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled April 1 for the re-arraignment of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, along with his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, over an alleged N1.35bn money laundering case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The hearing will also include two family-linked companies, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
The trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, set the date after the defendants failed to appear in court to take their plea. Their counsel, Joe Agi (SAN), apologised, explaining that the hearing notice reached them late on Thursday.
Agi added that since Lamido and his sons reside in Kano, they could not travel to Abuja at short notice but pledged to present them in court on the new date.
EFCC counsel, Chile Okoroma (SAN), expressed surprise at their absence despite being served with the hearing notice and said the 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 the case.
Justice Lifu stated that the matter was administrative and for the Chief Judge to decide, and subsequently adjourned the case to April 1.
PUNCH Online recalls that in 2015, the EFCC filed a 27-count charge against Lamido, his sons, and the two companies, alleging that about N1.35bn was laundered through kickbacks from state government contracts during Lamido’s tenure (2007–2015).
During the trial, the prosecution presented over 16 witnesses before closing its case. The defendants later filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case. In November 2022, the trial judge dismissed the submission and ordered them to open their defence.
Lamido and the other defendants appealed, and in July 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction, as the alleged offences occurred in Jigawa State.
The EFCC appealed to the Supreme Court, which on January 16, 2026, set aside the Court of Appeal ruling, restored the charges, and directed that the trial continue at the Federal High Court.
The unanimous judgment by Justice Abubakar Umar and a five-member panel held that the defendants had a case to answer.
