The planned fresh arraignment of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido on alleged N1.3 billion money laundering charges was aborted for the second time on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Despite the presence of all the accused persons in court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) objected to proceeding with a fresh arraignment.
EFCC counsel, Chile Okoroma, SAN, told the court that conducting a new arraignment would violate the Supreme Court’s order of January 16, 2026. The apex court had directed that the trial, which started in 2015 before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, should continue from where it stopped, rather than starting afresh.
Okoroma explained that the EFCC had already applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for a fiat to allow Justice Ojukwu (now transferred to Calabar) to return and conclude the matter in Abuja.Defence counsel, Joe Agi, SAN, raised no objection to the request for adjournment.
Court’s DecisionJustice Peter Lifu adjourned the case to April 30, 2026, to await the reaction of the Chief Judge on the EFCC’s application. The judge noted that proceeding otherwise could amount to confronting the Supreme Court’s directive.
Background of the Long-Running Case
The EFCC charged Lamido, his sons, and two companies — Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd — with 27 counts of money laundering.
The alleged offence involves siphoning about N1.3 billion from Jigawa State coffers through fictitious contract awards and kickbacks between 2007 and 2015 during Lamido’s tenure as governor.
The trial began in 2015 before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.
The EFCC called 17 witnesses and closed its case.
In November 2022, the defendants filed a no-case submission, which was dismissed.
The defendants appealed. In July 2023, the Court of Appeal discharged them, citing lack of territorial jurisdiction in Abuja and ordering the trial to be conducted in Jigawa State.
The EFCC appealed to the Supreme Court, which on January 16, 2026, set aside the Court of Appeal’s judgment and ordered that the trial continue in Abuja from where it stopped.
This is the second time the fresh arraignment attempt has failed. The first attempt on March 13, 2026, was aborted because the defendants were absent due to short notice of the trial date.
The case remains one of the high-profile corruption matters involving a former governor that has dragged on for over a decade due to legal technicalities and procedural hurdles.
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