A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and his co-defendants have a case to answer in the N712 million money laundering charges filed against him.
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, business associate to the Lamidos as well as four companies – Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Speeds International Limited – and Batholomew Darlington Agoha.
The defendants are facing 37 amended charges.
After the EFCC closed its case, Lamido filed a no-case submission, stating that the evidence provided by the prosecution did not disclose any case against him.
But ruling on the no-case submission on Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu dismissed the submission filed by Lamido.
The judge ordered him to open his defence on November 8.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being the governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria), on or about December 15, 2008, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court in your account in the name of Bamaina Holdings (also referred to as Bamaina Holding Limited) domiciled at Unity Bank Plc, Kano, converted N14,850,000.00, being the value of Intercontinental Bank Plc(now Access Bank Plc) cheque number 00000025 paid by Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which represented the proceeds of your illegal act to with using your position as a public officer for gratification by purportedly obtaining contracts for companies in which you have interest from Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which was awarded contracts by Jigawa State Government with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.”
