By Francis Wilfred
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ordered a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, to resume trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged N1.35 billion fraud.
In two unanimous judgments delivered on Friday, January 16, 2026**, a five-member panel of the apex court directed the defendants to enter their defence in the long-running case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The ruling overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which on July 25, 2023, upheld a no-case submission filed by Lamido and the other defendants and struck out the amended 43-count charge. The appellate court had ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
However, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Abubakar Umar, the Supreme Court set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision and affirmed the earlier ruling of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, which dismissed the no-case submission and ordered the defendants to open their defence.The EFCC had challenged the appellate court’s ruling, arguing that sufficient evidence was presented during trial to warrant the defendants being called upon to defend themselves. The anti-graft agency maintained that the lower court erred in law by terminating the case prematurely.
According to the EFCC, the charges border on money laundering and abuse of office, allegedly committed by Lamido during his tenure as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015.One of the charges alleges that Lamido, while in office, converted N14.85 million paid by Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited into an account linked to Bamaina Holdings, purportedly as gratification linked to state-awarded contracts. The offence is said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004. Another count alleges the conversion of N14.99 million paid by the same company through a different bank transaction, also allegedly linked to contract awards by the Jigawa State Government.
Further charges accuse Lamido, his sons, and associated companies of retaining N48 million believed to be proceeds of unlawful gratification connected to contracts awarded by the state government, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended). In addition, the EFCC alleged that Bartholomew Darlington Agoha, a manager in two of the companies involved, acted as an accessory by signing false documents to help conceal the alleged offences.The defendants in the case include Sule Lamido, his sons Aminu and Mustapha, Aminu Wada Abubakar, and corporate entities such as Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, the matter is expected to return to the Federal High Court, Abuja, where the defendants will be required to present their defence as the trial continues.
