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
Limited) domiciled at Unity Bank Plc. Kano, converted the sum of N14,994,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand Naira) being the value of Diamond Bank Plc cheque no.19875398 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 for companies in which you have interest from
Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited which was awarded contracts by Jigawa State Government 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, 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act”
Count 42 reads; “That you ALHAJI SULE LAMIDO (while being the Governor of jigawa State, Nigeria, AMINU SULE LAMIDO, MUSTAPHA SULE LAMIDO, BAMAINA COMPANY NIGERIA LIMITED on or about 7th February, 2012 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court retained in the account of Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited with Skye Bank Plc the sum of N48, 000, 000 (Forty-Eight Million Naira) paid Interior Woodwork Limited which funds you knew to be proceeds of an unlawful act of Alhaji Sule Lamido who used his position as a public officer to receive gratification from the said Interior Woodwork Limited on account of a contract awarded to it by the Jigawa, State Government and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section17(a) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
Count 43 reads;
“That you BATHOLOMEW DARLINGTON AGOHA (being the Manager of Speeds International Limited and Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited) sometime between January and March 2014 made yourself an accessory to the act of money laundering by Alhaji Sule Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited by signing false Way Bills, L.P.0 (that is, Local Purchase Order); Application for Contracts and other documents which you knew to be false in order to assist them conceal their said offence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act”.
In the lead judgments of the apex court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja which overruled the no-case submissions by Lamido and others and ordered to enter their defence.
The EFCC, in the 43-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of money laundering, and abuse of office while holding sway as governor between 2007 and 2015.
The other defendants are Lamido’s two sons – Aminu and Mustapha. Others are Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
The EFCC, at the Supreme Court, argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law by discharging the defendants despite evidence linking them to the alleged offences.
