The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 1, 2026, for the fresh arraignment of former Sule Lamido, over an alleged N1.35 billion corruption charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The new date was fixed by Justice Peter Lifu following the absence of the former governor and his two sons in court to take their plea.
Lamido is to be re-arraigned alongside his sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, who are alleged to have participated in the fraud through fictitious contract awards.
The defendants were expected to take their plea on Friday, but their counsel, Joe Agi (SAN), apologised to the court for their absence. He explained that information about the trial reached them on Thursday evening.
According to him, the former governor and his sons reside in Kano and could not make it to the court in time due to the short notice and the distance involved.
However, counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoroma (SAN), expressed surprise that the three defendants were not present in court despite being served with the trial notice.
Okoroma further informed the court that the EFCC had written to the Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho, requesting that the initial trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu—who has since been transferred to Calabar—be returned to Abuja to continue the trial.
Justice Lifu noted that the EFCC’s letter was an administrative matter to be decided by the Chief Judge but proceeded to adjourn the case to April 1 for arraignment.
The EFCC had in 2015 charged Lamido, his two sons and their companies before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 27-count charge bordering on money laundering involving about N1.35 billion allegedly siphoned from Jigawa State through a fraudulent scheme.
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