ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Supreme Court has ordered the continuation of the trial of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his two sons, and other defendants over alleged N1.35 billion fraud.
In two unanimous judgments delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court granted the appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), directing that the case should proceed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court upheld the earlier decision of the trial court, which dismissed the no-case submissions filed by Lamido and the other defendants, ruling that they had a case to answer.
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The appeals arose from the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had upheld the no-case submissions and struck out the 37-count charge on the grounds that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
In the lead judgments, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the appellate court’s rulings and affirmed the earlier decision of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions and ordered the defendants to open their defence.
The EFCC alleged in the 37-count charge that Lamido abused his position as governor between 2007 and 2015 by laundering funds received as kickbacks from companies awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his administration.
Those standing trial alongside Lamido include his sons, Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar; and two firms; Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited.