After Nine Years, Appeal Court Discharges Sule Lamido, Son of Money Laundering Charges

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Court of Appeal yesterday, delivered judgement on an appeal of no case submission by former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, discharging him and his son Mustapha Sule Lamido, of all count charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

THISDAY had reported that the case had lingered for about nine years.

According to the lead judgment of Justice Adamu Waziri, the appeal was resolved against the respondent and in favour of the appellant.

“Having resolved them,” he said, “the ruling of the Federal High Court is thereby set aside, struck out, apparently discharged,” the judge ruled.

He said the Federal High Court Abuja, was not within the territorial jurisdiction where the offence was committed and so it does not have jurisdiction to hear it.

The EFCC had accused Lamido alongside two of his sons – Aminu Sule Lamido and Mustapha Sule Lamido – and others of money laundering involving N712,008,035.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had dismissed the no-case submission filed by Lamido to challenge the 37 counts of money laundering filed against him and his co-defendants.

The Court in Abuja had ruled that, Sule Lamido, and his co-defendants had a case to answer with regard to the N712 million money laundering charges filed against them.

The rest were four companies – Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Speeds International Limited – and Batholomew Darlignton Agoha.

Ijeoma Ojukwu, the trial judge, made the pronouncement in a ruling dismissing the no-case submission filed by Lamido.

However, Lamido appealed against the Federal High Court ruling.