The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday insisted that former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his sons, and other co-defendants be retried by the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.
Chile Okoroma, counsel for the EFCC, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the commission was still awaiting a response from the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, regarding its request. Okoroma made the statement shortly after the case was called for the re-arraignment of the defendants.
He said the application was in line with the Supreme Court order. “On the last adjourned date, the court was informed about a letter written to the CJ, seeking a fiat for Justice Ojukwu, who is in the Calabar division of the court, to conclude the matter as directed by the apex court,” Okoroma said.
He added, “We wrote a letter to the chief judge explaining why the order of the Supreme Court must be obeyed.”
Okoroma said the prosecution had called at least 17 witnesses and was seeking the application for the former trial judge to continue the case. He then requested an adjournment to await the official communication from the CJ.
Joe Agi, representing the defendants, did not oppose the EFCC’s application.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until April 30 for re-arraignment or further proceedings. “In the circumstances of this case and in the interest of justice, the case is adjourned for re-arraignment and/or further proceedings,” the judge said.
Their re-arraignment, scheduled for March 13, was stalled due to the absence of Lamido and his co-defendants.
The Supreme Court had on January 16 ordered a retrial of the defendants. A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgements on appeals filed by the EFCC. Both appeals challenged the July 25, 2023 judgements by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge, ruling that the Federal High Court, Abuja, lacked jurisdiction.
In the lead judgement, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision and affirmed Justice Ojukwu’s earlier ruling, which overruled the defendants’ no-case submissions and ordered them to enter their defence.
The EFCC’s 37-count charge accuses Lamido of abusing his position as governor between 2007 and 2015. He was alleged to have laundered money received as kickbacks from companies awarded contracts by the Jigawa State government.
Other defendants charged alongside Lamido include his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, Aminu Abubakar and their companies, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
