Alleged N1.3bn Fraud: Supreme Court Orders Sule Lamido, Sons to Resume Trial

Lamido

By JUMOKE SANNI

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, January 16, 2026, ordered a former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his two sons, Mustapha and Aminu and others, to enter their defences at the Federal High Court, Abuja over alleged N1.35billion fraud.

A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgments delivered on Friday in the two appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The EFCC’s appeals were against the July 25, 2023 judgments by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 43-count amended charges on which they were being prosecuted. The appellate court held that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Count One reads: “ That you Alhaji Sule Lamido( while being the governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria) on or about 15t of December,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 the sum of (N14,850,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira)A being the value of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now_ Access Bank Plc) cheque no 00000025 paid by Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which represented the proceeds of your illegal act to wit: using your position as a public officer for gratification by purportedly obtaining contracts from company which you have interest , Dantata’& Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which was awarded contracts by Jigawa State Governments 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, 2,004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act”.

Count Five reads:

“That you ALHAJI SULE LAMIDO (while being the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria), on or about 21st of April, 2009 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court in your account in the name of Bamaina Holdings (also referred to as Bamaina Holding