Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 1, 2026, for the fresh arraignment of former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido and his two sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, over an alleged N1.35 billion fraud case brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The decision followed their absence in court during a scheduled proceeding where they were expected to take their pleas in the revived corruption trial.
Justice Peter Lifu adjourned the matter after the defendants failed to appear before the court. Their counsel, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, apologised for their absence and informed the court that the notice for the hearing had reached the defendants only a day earlier. According to the defence lawyer, the former governor and his sons reside in Kano State and could not travel to Abuja on such short notice. He assured the court that the defendants would be present on the next adjourned date to face the charges against them.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting the case, alleging that Lamido and his sons were involved in a scheme that diverted public funds through fraudulent contract arrangements during Lamido’s tenure as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015. Prosecutors claim that the defendants used fictitious contract awards and associated companies to launder funds allegedly obtained from government contractors.
Court records show that the anti-corruption agency first filed the case in 2015, charging Lamido, his sons, and their companies with multiple counts of money laundering involving about N1.35 billion. The companies named in the case include Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited, which investigators claim were used as channels to move funds linked to the alleged corruption scheme.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed while Lamido served as governor, during which time he was accused of abusing his office to collect kickbacks from contractors who had been awarded government projects. The commission maintains that these funds were subsequently laundered through various financial transactions designed to disguise their origin and conceal the alleged illicit proceeds.
The case has experienced several legal twists since it was first instituted more than a decade ago. During the initial trial before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the EFCC presented more than sixteen witnesses before closing its case. Following the prosecution’s presentation of evidence, the defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence requiring them to open a defence.
In November 2022, the trial court dismissed the no-case submission and ordered the defendants to begin presenting their defence. Dissatisfied with that ruling, Lamido and the other defendants approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision.
In July 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Lamido and his co-defendants, holding that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction to hear the case. The appellate court reasoned that the alleged offences occurred in Jigawa State and therefore should have been tried there rather than in the federal capital. Based on that reasoning, the court struck out the charges and discharged the defendants.
The ruling prompted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to approach the Supreme Court in August 2023, seeking to overturn the appellate court’s decision. The anti-corruption agency argued that the charges were valid and that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
In a major development earlier this year, the Supreme Court reinstated the corruption charges against Lamido and his sons. In a unanimous judgment delivered on January 16, 2026, a five-member panel of the apex court set aside the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal that had discharged the defendants. The Supreme Court held that the case should proceed and ordered that it be returned to the Federal High Court for continuation of the trial.
The apex court’s decision effectively revived the long-running prosecution and paved the way for a new arraignment and continuation of proceedings. Legal observers noted that the ruling meant Lamido and the other defendants must now formally respond to the charges before the Federal High Court, where the trial is expected to continue.
During the most recent court session, the EFCC’s counsel, Chile Okoroma, informed the court that the commission had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting that the initial trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who has since been transferred to another judicial division, be reassigned to continue handling the case.
Justice Lifu noted that the issue concerning the reassignment of the original judge was an administrative matter to be determined by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. The court then fixed April 1, 2026, as the date for the fresh arraignment of Lamido and his co-defendants.
The upcoming court appearance will mark a critical stage in the case, as arraignment requires the defendants to formally enter their pleas to the charges. Once pleas are entered, the trial is expected to proceed with the presentation of evidence and defence arguments in what has become one of the most prominent corruption cases involving a former state governor in Nigeria.
Sule Lamido remains a prominent political figure in Nigeria and previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs before becoming governor of Jigawa State. The outcome of the revived trial is expected to attract significant national attention as the legal proceedings continue.
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