Ex-gov Lamido, Sons has a case to answer over alleged N712m fraud, court rules

The Federal High Court in Abuja has said Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa State, and his co-defendants, have a case to answer in the N712 million naira money-laundering.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu made this pronouncement in a ruling dismissing the no-case submission filed by Lamido on Monday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Lamido alongside two of his sons: Aminu Sule Lamido and Mustapha Sule Lamido.

Other defendants include Aminu Abubakar, a business associate of the Lamidos and four companies.

The companies include Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Speeds International Limited, and Batholomew Darlignton Agoha.

The defendants are standing trial in a 37 amended charge bordering on money laundering of the sum of N712,008,035.

Part of the charges includes “That you Sule Lamido, while being the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, and Bamaina company limited on or about 3rd of April 2012 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court retained in the account of Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited domiciled with Skye Bank Plc Kano the sum of N57,000,000.00 transferred from the account of Bamaina Holdings at Unity Bank Plc Kano which fund you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act of Sule Lamido who used his position as a public officer for gratification by obtaining purported contracts for Speeds International Limited, Gada Construction Company, and Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited from Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited, a company which was awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 17 of the same Act”

Lamido had filed a no-case submission after the prosecution finished calling its witnesses.

He alleged that the evidence provided by the prosecution did not disclose any case against him and called on the judge to dismiss the charges.

Lamido stated that there was no need for him to enter any defence.

However, ruling on the no-case submission, Justice Ojukwu dismissed his claim, ordering him to open his defence from Tuesday to Friday November 8 to 11.

Lamido and his co-accused were first arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Kano, on July 9, 2015 for allegedly misappropriating funds belonging to Jigawa State.

He had been re-arraigned severally before his further arraignment before Justice Ojukwu on Monday.February 14 this year.