The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 1 for the fresh arraignment of a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamiɗo, over an alleged ₦1.3 billion corruption charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Lamiɗo is expected to be arraigned alongside his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, who are accused of participating in the alleged fraud through fictitious contract awards.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu fixed the date yesterday, following the absence of the defendants in court. Although the fresh arraignment was scheduled to take place yesterday, counsel to the Lamiɗos, Joe Agi (SAN), apologised to the court for their absence. The senior lawyer explained that the defendants received information about the trial late on Thursday evening. According to him, the former governor and his sons reside in Kano and were unable to travel to Abuja within the short notice.
Agi subsequently assured the court that he would produce the defendants on the next adjourned date.
Counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoroma (SAN), told the court that he was surprised the defendants failed to appear despite being served with a hearing notice. He further disclosed that the anti-graft agency had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, requesting that the original trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who was transferred to Calabar, be returned to Abuja to continue the case.
Responding, Justice Lifu said the request regarding the former trial judge was an administrative issue that would be determined by the Chief Judge. He, thereafter, adjourned the matter until April 1 for the defendants to take their plea.
The EFCC first charged Lamiɗo, his two sons and their companies before the Federal High Court in Abuja in 2015 on a 27-count charge of money laundering involving about ₦1.3bn. The anti-graft agency alleged that the offences were committed between 2007 and 2015 during Lamiɗo’s tenure as governor of Jigawa State. According to the Commission, Lamiɗo abused his office by laundering funds allegedly received as kickbacks from state government contracts. Apart from the Lamidos, the other defendants in the case are Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu dismissed the application in Nov. 2022 and ordered the defendants to enter their defence. Lamiɗo and the other defendants appealed the ruling, and in July 2023 the Court of Appeal upheld their no-case submission, ruling that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The appellate court held that the trial ought to have been conducted in Jigawa State where the alleged offences occurred. The ruling effectively discharged Lamiɗo and the other defendants at the time. However, the EFCC took the matter to the Supreme Court, asking the apex court to overturn the appellate court’s decision.
On January 16, 2026, the apex court set aside the Court of Appeal’s judgment. A 5-member panel, led by Justice Abubakar Umar, ruled that the defendants still had a case to answer.
The apex court subsequently ordered that the case be returned to the Federal High Court for continuation of trial.
