According to the Federal High Court in Abuja, the former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and his co-defendants in the alleged laundering of N712 million have a case to answer.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has prosecuting Lamido along with two of his sons, Aminu, and Mustapha Lamido.
Aminu Abubakar, a business partner of the Lamidos, and four businesses are among the additional accused.
After the EFCC finished its investigation, the former governor submitted a no-case submission in which he claimed that the evidence presented by the prosecution revealed no case against him.
However, dismissing his argument in a decision on the no-case submission, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu mandated that he begin his defense on November 8.
Part of the charges against the former governor include: “That you Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria), on or about 15th 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) 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 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.”