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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, insisted on the retrial of former Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa, his sons and others by the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.
Chile Okoroma, SAN, counsel for the EFCC, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the commission was still awaiting the response of the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice John Tsoho, to its request.
Okoroma, who stated this shortly after the case was called for the re-arraignment of the defendants, said the application was in line with the Supreme Court order.
He said on the last adjourned date, the court was informed about a letter written to the CJ, seeking a fiat for Justice Ojukwu, who is in the Calabar division of the court, to conclude the matter as directed by the apex court.
According to him, we wrote a letter to the chief judge explaining why the order of the Supreme Court must be obeyed.
He said the prosecution, having gone far in the case by calling at least 17 witnesses, sought the application for the former trial judge to handle the case.
He then applied for an adjournment to await the official communication of the CJ.
Joe Agi, SAN, who appeared for the defendants, did not oppose Okoroma’s application.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until April 30 for re-arraignment or further proceedings.
“In the circumstances of this case and in the interest of justice, the case is adjourned for re-arraignment and/or further proceedings,” the judge said.
Their re-arraignment, on March 13, was stalled due to the absence of the ex-govenor and his co-defendants in court.
NAN recalls that the Supreme Court had, on Jan. 16, ordered a retrial of the defendants.
A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgements delivered in the two appeals filed in the name of the federal government by the EFCC.
Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023 judgements by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court, Abuja, lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In the lead judgements of the Supreme Court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgements of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions of the defendants and ordered them to enter their defence.
The EFCC, in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of abusing his position as governor between 2007 and 2015.
He was alleged to have laundered sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State government under his leadership.
The other defendants charged alongside Lamido are his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha – and Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
(NAN).
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