Alleged N1.35bn fraud: Court adjourns Sule Lamido’s retrial over defendants’ absence

The retrial of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his two sons and others over an alleged N1.35 billion fraud was stalled on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to the absence of the defendants.

The case, recently reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu, could not proceed after the accused persons failed to appear in court.

Although counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chile Okoroma (SAN), and defence lawyer Joe Agi (SAN) were present, the defendants were not in court.

Addressing the court, Agi explained that the hearing notice was received late on Thursday around 5 pm, leaving insufficient time for the defendants, who are based in Kano State, to travel to Abuja.

He added that no available flight could convey them to the Federal Capital Territory in time for the hearing.

Agi, however, assured the court that the defendants would be present on the next adjourned date.

During the proceedings, the EFCC lawyer requested that the matter be reassigned to the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who previously handled the case.

Okoroma said a letter had been written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting the reassignment.

However, Agi said he had not been served with a copy of the letter.

Justice Lifu subsequently directed the EFCC counsel to make the letter available to the defence, noting that the defence had indicated it would raise objections.

The judge also observed that the case had been in court since 2015, stressing the need for the trial to proceed without further delay.

“The Chief Judge assigned the case to me, and it is my duty to commence hearing,” he said.

Justice Lifu thereafter adjourned the matter to April 1 for hearing.

The Supreme Court had earlier, on January 16, ordered a retrial of Lamido and the other defendants over the alleged fraud.

A five-member panel of the apex court set aside the July 25, 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld a no-case submission filed by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge against them on jurisdictional grounds.

The Supreme Court restored the earlier ruling of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, which dismissed the no-case submission and directed the defendants to open their defence.

The EFCC alleges in the 37-count charge that Lamido, while serving as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, abused his office by laundering funds allegedly received as kickbacks from contractors awarded state government projects.

Those charged alongside the former governor include his sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, as well as Aminu Wada Abubakar and two companies — Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited.