Alleged N1.35bn Fraud: Trial of Sule Lamido, Sons Begins Afresh April 1

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The trial “denovo” (starting afresh) of former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, over allegations of fraud has been scheduled for April 1, 2026.

New trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday announced April 1, for the fresh arraignment of the three defendants alongside companies linked to them, in the alleged corruption and fraud charge.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is prosecuting the defendants over alleged fraud to the tune of N1.35 billion. 

Although the fresh arraignment was scheduled to hold yesterday, their counsel, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, apologised for their not being in court explaining that information about the trial came on Thursday evening. 

He said that the former governor and his children are resident in Kano and could not make it to the court because of the distance and lateness of the notice of hearing. 

The senior lawyer thereafter undertook to produce the accused persons on the adjourned date to face their trial. 

Responding, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Chile Okoroma, SAN, expressed surprise that the three defendants were not in court having been served with the notice of trial. 

Meanwhile, Okoroma disclosed that the EFCC had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, requesting the continuation of trial by the former Judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu.

Justice Ojukwu is currently serving at the Calabar Division of the Federal High Court.

Reacting, Justice Lifu, who remarked that the request by the anti-graft agency was an administrative one and would be determined by the Chief Judge, fixed April 1 for arraignment. 

The commission had in 2015, arraigned the defendants on a 27-counts criminal charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N1.35 billion.

Lamido and his co-defendants allegedly committed the offences during his time as the governor of the state.

The commission said he abused his office between 2007 and 2015 to launder funds received as kickbacks from state government contracts.

Apart from the Lamidos, other defendants are their companies, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.

After EFCC had called more than 16 witnesses and closed its case, the defendants filed a no‑case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence to require them to open their defence.

But trial judge Ijeoma Ojukwu dismissed the submission and ordered them to enter defence in November 2022.

Lamido, went on appeal against the ruling and in July 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the no‑case submission and ruled that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction to sit on the case in the first place.

The Court of Appeal held that the trial should have been conducted in Jigawa State, where the alleged offences occurred.

However, in August 2023, EFCC approached the Supreme Court, seeking an order to overturn the judgement of the appellate court.

In its judgement on January 16, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the EFCC, and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal that discharged Sule Lamido and his sons, Mustapha and Aminu, of money laundering charges.

A five‑member panel of the apex court in a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Abubakar Umar, had held that the defendants had a case to answer.

The Supreme Court subsequently ordered that the matter be returned to the Federal High Court for continuation of trial.